Gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton fighting for her life in ICU

Gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton is in intensive care and fighting for her life, according to a social media post shared by her daughter.

Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, shared a post on her Instagram story Tuesday. Her post featured a photo of her famous mother and asked people to “consider helping our mom and our family out.” The post shared a link to a fundraising page on Spotfund.

Mary Lou Retton, one of the greatest names in U.S. Olympic history, “has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life,” according to her daughter McKenna Kelley’s Instagram story. “She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now.” pic.twitter.com/9LnwOJNP1J

— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) October 10, 2023

Kelley’s fundraiser has a goal of raising $50,000 to help cover the hospital costs for her mother, whom she says is in intensive care with a rare form of pneumonia. Kelley added on the fundraiser page that her mother does not have insurance.

“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 not insured,” Kelley wrote on the page.

“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!”

The fundraiser had generated over $8,000 from over 100 donors at the time this was published.

Retton is famous for her success in gymnastics. The 55-year-old won five medals at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She won gold in the all-around, silver medals in the team and vault competitions, and bronze medals in the uneven bars and floor exercise. Remarkably, Retton became the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the women’s all-around competition at the Olympics.

A native of Fairmont, West Virginia, Retton is an inductee of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and Houston Sports Hall of Fame.