Mary Lou Retton Net Worth, Children, Husband, Age, Bio
Mary Lou Retton Net Worth
Mary Lou Retton, a well-known American retired gymnast has an estimated net worth of $2.5 million.
Profile Summary
| Net Worth | $2.5 million |
| Name | Mary Lou Retton |
| Gender | Female |
| Born | January 24, 1968 |
| Age | 55 years old (as of 2023) |
| Place of birth | Fairmont, West Virginia, U.S |
| Nationality | American |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Husband | Spouse: Shannon Kelley (m. 1990–2018) |
Biography
Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast and TV personality. She became famous for her performance in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won a gold medal in the all-around event and two silver and two bronze medals.
Her gold medal was significant because she was the first American woman to achieve this in Olympic gymnastics.
She went to Fairmont Senior High School but didn't graduate, as she competed in the 1984 Olympics during her sophomore year.
Mary Lou Retton Age
The American retired gymnast was born on January 24, 1968, in Fairmont, West Virginia, U.S. Mary Lou Retton is 55 years old as of 2023.
Career
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Mary Lou Retton found her inspiration when she watched Nadia Com?neci outshine Olga Korbut during the 1976 Summer Olympics.
At just eight years old, this motivated her to start gymnastics in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia, coached by Gary Rafaloski.
She later moved to Houston, Texas, to train under Romanian coaches Béla and Márta Károlyi, who had previously coached Nadia Com?neci.
Under the Károlyis, Retton gained recognition in the U.S., winning the American Cup in 1983 and taking second place at the US Nationals, with another Károlyi student, Dianne Durham, taking first. Although she missed the World Gymnastics Championships in 1983 due to a wrist injury, she won the American Classic in 1983 and 1984, along with Japan's Chunichi Cup in 1983.
Despite a knee injury before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she made a remarkable recovery.
In a closely fought competition boycotted by most of the Soviet bloc nations, Retton won the all-around gold medal, becoming the first non-Eastern European female gymnast to do so.
She also became the first American woman to achieve Olympic all-around champion status.
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At the same Olympics, Retton earned four more medals: silver in the team competition and horse vault, and bronze in floor exercise and uneven bars.
Her outstanding performance led to her being named Sports Illustrated Magazine's Sportswoman of the Year. She even appeared on a Wheaties cereal box, becoming its first official spokesperson.
In 1985, Retton won the American Cup all-around competition for the third and final time. She retired from competitive gymnastics in 1986.
Beyond her gymnastics success, Mary Lou Retton actively supported the Reagan administration, appearing in TV ads for Ronald Reagan and participating in a campaign rally in West Virginia.
She also delivered the Pledge of Allegiance with fellow gymnast Kerri Strug at the 2004 Republican National Convention.
Mary Lou Retton Husband and Children
Mary Lou Retton married Shannon Kelley in In 1990. He was a former University of Texas quarterback and a Houston real estate developer.
He now works at Houston Baptist University.
They have four daughters: Shayla (born in 1995), McKenna (born in 1997), Skyla (born in 2000), and Emma (born in 2002).
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McKenna was a gymnast at Louisiana State University, and Emma is currently a gymnast at the University of Arkansas.
However, in February 2018, they divorced.
