Former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton battled a “rare” illness, her daughter, McKenna Kelley, revealed in early October 2023. Throughout her battle with pneumonia, her daughters and her former Dancing With the Stars partner, Sasha Farber, gave fans updates along the way.
About two months of her battle with pneumonia, Mary Lou has been opening up about what the experience was like in an interview with Today in January 2024. The former gymnast revealed that she was thankful to be alive following the hospitalization. “I’m so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here, because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support,” she said.
One year later, Mary Lou encountered a separate problem, this time with the law: a DUI.
To learn more about Mary Lou’s health, keep reading.
Mary is one of the most iconic gymnasts in U.S. history. Having earned the nickname “America’s Sweetheart” in the 1980s, the West Virginia native won the gold medal for the women’s individual all-around competition in addition to two silver and two bronze medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Mary was the first female American gymnast to win gold in the Olympics’ all-around competition.
Two years later, Mary retired from the sport. However, she remained in the public eye by appearing in various films, such as Scrooged and episodes of Baywatch and Glee. She competed on DWTS in 2018 with Sasha as her dance partner.
Previously, Mary’s daughter, McKenna, took to her Instagram Stories to ask fans for financial assistance for her mother’s hospitalization. McKenna noted that the former Olympian does not have health insurance.
