LOS ANGELES, CA - CIRCA 1984: Gymnast Mary Lou Retton of the United States competes in the balance ... [+]
U.S. gymnastics icon Mary Lou Retton has a very rare form of pneumonia and is “fighting for her life” in hospital, her daughter said on Tuesday.
At 16, Retton became an icon of the U.S. Olympic movement when she won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles after scoring a perfect 10 on the vault to edge Romania's Ecaterina Szabo.
With that, she also became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics.
Gold medal winner Mary Lou Retton raises her arms in victory at the awards ceremony for the Women's ... [+]
At the same Olympic Games, Retton also won two silver medals in the team and vault events, as well as two bronze medals in the uneven bars and floor exercise while still a high school student.
Those performances made her one of the most popular athletes in the U.S.
Retton was named Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportswoman of the Year" in 1984 and appeared on Wheaties cereal boxes in the wake of her triumph.
Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley shared the news of her health on the online fundraiser platform Spotfund, saying that the 55-year-old is not able to breathe on her own and has been in the intensive care unit for over a week.
“Hey everyone! On behalf of my sisters and I, we need y’all’s help,” Kelley said.
“My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now. Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured.
“We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill.
“ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!”
Retton also won the American Cup all-around competition three times – in 1983, 1984 and 1985 – before she announced retirement in 1986.
In 1997, Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and was the first woman to be selected into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
Retton also served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under U.S. president George W Bush.
Retton, a mother of four, currently lives in Texas.