One of the greatest American athletes, and perhaps also its most loved, is currently fighting for her life in a hospital. Mary Lou Retton, the 1st American female athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics in the all-around competition in gymnastics, is fighting a rare and life-threatening form of the disease.
Mary Lou Retton contested in the ‘84 Los Angeles Olympics and has been admired and respected by fans for snatching away the title from the Soviet Bloc countries with her individual gold in the all-around competition. McKenna Kelley, her daughter, uploaded an update on Tuesday on her social media account saying her mother had difficulty breathing on her own and was also in a life-threatening situation at the hospital.
McKenna, a gymnast, has appealed for monetary assistance to fund Ms. Retton’s medical expenses. She shared a SpotFund link for a fundraiser. She revealed that Mary Lou Retton did not have medical insurance to cover her medical expenses. Ms. Kelly wrote that her mother, Mary Lou Retton had contracted a rare and dangerous strain of the disease. She was already under intensive care for a week, battling for her life.
Fans Have Overwhelmingly Donated For Mary Lou Retton’s Treatment
Adoring fans gave their overwhelming support and the initial target of $50,000 was soon breached. The total has already breached the $140,000 mark by Wednesday. Mary Lou Retton burst onto the scene at the age of fifteen when she began winning competitions at the national level. She won the American Cup in 1983 and was 2nd at the national championship that year. A year later she stormed onto the international scene with her Olympic gold. She also won two silver and bronze medals each in other events.
Mary Lou Retton achieved a perfect 10 on the vault and floor events, winning by just half a point. Her achievement made her a darling of fans. Ms. Retton was inducted into both the US and International Gymnastic Hall of Fame in 1997. She stepped back from international competition early at only 18 years in 1986. But she has been active, appearing in DWTS in 2018. Mary Lou Retton was also on the American Sports Council under the Bush regime.
