Mary Lou Retton | Encyclopedia.com (2024)

1968-

American gymnast

Mary Lou Retton burst onto the gymnastic front with all the vivaciousness she could muster, and in doing so, took the world by storm. She changed the way people thought of a gymnast, not having the typical physique for

the sport. Retton was very muscular, a change from the petit, smaller gymnasts fans were used to seeing catapulting off the balance beam and swinging around the uneven bars. She also changed the world simply by her exuberance. Retton's infectious smile captured the hearts of people everywhere during the 1984 Olympics. It is that smile that continues to inspire people to this day.

Inspired By Nadia

Mary Lou was born to Lois and Ronnie Retton. She was the youngest of five children. Growing up in the Retton household meant you were going to be very active. All five of the children would participate in various sports at any given time. Lois described her children as hyper and wanted to channel that energy into something positive. She would take Mary Lou and her sister Shari to West Virginia University for gymnastics once a week. "I would sleep in my leotard on Friday nights because I was so excited about gymnastics on Saturday mornings," Retton shared with Skip Hollands worth of Texas Monthly. Her first pining for Olympic Gold came at the age of four when watching Olga Korbut during the 1972 Olympics. Korbut was gutsy and full of vim and vigor. Retton could identify with Korbut's spirit. Retton was also intrigued with the way Korbut expressed emotion, during the time when the Cold War forced most Russian athletes to show no emotion. When Retton was seven she watched Nadia Comaneci compete in the Olympics and enchant the world with her skill and force. Retton knew she wanted to one day stand on the podium and receive a gold medal.

Retton eventually got to the point where she outgrew the training she was receiving in West Virginia. In 1982 she left home for Houston, Texas. Retton had met Bela Karolyi when competing in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he encouraged her to come train with him. Retton's parents were reluctant at first, believing she was too young to be away from her family. It took a lot of pushing for Retton to convince them that if she did not go to Houston, her career as a gymnast may never come to fruition. Her parents decided she was right, and wanted her to be all she could be.

Retton stayed with a family in Houston whose daughter was in the same program at Karolyi's school. At this point she was training eight to ten hours a day, which left little time for schoolwork. Retton ended up taking correspondence courses, which allowed her to complete her studies at a pace that adhered to her training schedule.

Karolyi the Bear

Karolyi had been known for his harsh training style when in Romania. When he defected to the United States with his wife they opened their gymnastic school in Houston. Since being in the States Karolyi had mellowed considerably. He had become "an enthusiastic cheerleader, constantly shouting words of encouragement during competitions, clapping his gymnasts on the back, and rewarding displays of excellence with big bear hugs. Mary Lou responded well to this type of treatment. It psyched her up," wrote George Sullivan in his biography of Retton's life, titled Mary Lou Retton. Karolyi was enamored with Retton's innate ability in gymnastics and could see the energy within her. In Sullivan's book he expressed, "Mary Lou is a little volcano on the floor."

After only one month of Karolyi's tutelage Retton won the all-around title at the Caesar's Palace Invitational. When her team was to attend the McDonald's American Cup Competition at Madison Square Garden, she had not ranked high enough yet to be invited. Retton went with the team as a substitute. Her big break would happen when one of her teammates suffered an injury, rendering her unable to compete. Karolyi put Retton in her teammate's position. "Not only did she win the competition, but she set a meet record of 9.95 points in the vault event," wrote Sullivan. It was this win that put her in contention for the 1984 Olympics, but the months prior to the Olympics would prove to be harrowing ones.

Olympic Visions

A mere six weeks before the Olympics Retton suffered a major knee injury that required surgery. Her parents consulted with the most skilled physician they could find, who flew in to do arthroscopic surgery. The surgery was minimally invasive, and allowed Retton to walk immediately and begin training again a week later, after doing physical therapy to ensure the knee was healing properly. By the time she was to go off to the Olympics she had fully recovered and was stronger than ever. "In the weeks before the Olympics, Mary Lou often lay in her bed with her eyes closed and let her imagination romp. She would visualize herself on each piece of equipment, performing her best routines and hitting every move perfectly," described Sullivan. Retton even went as far as to imagine receiving the gold medal, while hearing the "Star Spangle Banner" booming in the background. Her creative visualization would prove to be prophetic.

Chronology

Mary Lou Retton

It came down to the final event. For almost a week, 16-year-old Mary Lou Retton, America's best female gymnast, had sparred with Romania's Ecaterina Szabo for the gold medal in all-around gymnastics in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The winner would bear the title of finest woman gymnast in the world.

The competition had been nip and tuck. Then Szabo, a solid international star who rarely made a mistake, twirled around the uneven bars with her usual brilliance, earning a score of 9.90.

Now it was Mary Lou's turn on the vault, the last chance for the 4-foot 9-inch, 92-pound dynamo to take home the gold.

As Mary Lou waited her turn, her personal coach, Bela Karolyi, leaned across the barricade that separated him from the contestants and handed her a piece of paper. On it he had done some arithmetic: "Score a 9.95 and you will tie Szabo for the gold. Score a perfect 10 and you will be the all-around champion. Anything less than 9.95 means second place."

Source: Sullivan, George. Mary Lou Retton. New York:Julian Messner, 1985.

The U.S. Women's team performance at the Olympics got off to a rocky start, with several of the girls making critical mistakes during their routines. Fortunately Mary Lou Retton was on their team, who would not accept anything other than a perfect performance. With Retton's perfect 10s along with her teammate Julianne McNamara's perfect performances, they were able to bring the teams score up to medal winning status. These performances lead the team to a silver medal victory. A medal had not been won by the U.S. Women's Gymnastic team since 1948, when they had earned a bronze. The performance was somewhat tainted by the fact that the Soviet Union and their allies (except Romania) had boycotted the Games.

Retton's greatest competition in the all-around competition was Romanian Ecaterina Szabo. They each would compete in a rotation cycle, with Szabo always performing first, which allowed people to compare their scores. Szabo did extremely well on the balance beam, earning a prefect 10. Retton was a little behind due to her routine on the uneven bars, earning a paltry 9.85. This caused her and Szabo to be neck and neck, and tensions were high. With another costly stumble on the balance beam, Retton's chances at a gold were diminishing. She was a fraction of a point behind Szabo. Karolyi, who was in the photographer's area, was cheering Retton on the whole way – and at this point Retton went over to tell her coach that she was going to "stick it." This meant she was going to do her last event, the vault, perfectly to win the gold. She waited in position until the green light on the scoreboard flashed. "Mary Lou raised her right arm to the crowd, then bounded down the runway, rocketed off the springboard to fly some 14 feet. In the air, she combined a back somersault with a double twist, her body stretched out flat like a knife blade. And then she stuck it, landing upright and rock still," writes Sullivan in his account of the moment. Although Retton waited anxiously for her score to be posted, she knew it would be a10. When it was announced she had received a 10 she ran to the runway and waved at the crowd excitedly. Retton wasn't done though, as Olympic rules state that she had to complete another vault. She did just that, and to prove that she was worth her weight in gold, she did another perfect 10 vault. Karolyi said after the event, "Very few have her power to keep going like a bulldozer to get what they want and go on to win."

Dreams Do Come True

What Retton had envisioned years ago at seven years old, while watching Nadia Comaneci, had come to fruition. She had won the gold she had longed for. In addition to the gold for the all-around competition, Retton also earned a silver medal on the vault, and bronze medals in the uneven bars and floor exercise. She came home from the 1984 Olympics having earned the most medals any athlete had received that year. Once her competition was done Retton decided to go home to Fairmont, as she had not been home for over ten months, and due to security issues, there was not much she could do at the Games. She planned to fly back to Los Angeles for the closing ceremonies. Upon her arrival back home, Retton got a homecoming she never had expected in her wildest dreams. The town had been notified when her plane was to touch down, and there was a crowd of people waiting for her at the airport, holding signs and cheering for her. Retton was whisked away from the airport in a convertible, which was taken to a parade arranged for her through the streets of Fairmont. "Quickly made banners and signs had gone up all over town. Several said: We love you, Mary Lou, and Fairmont's Golden Girl. Precious Gifts Come in Small Packages another declared," said Sullivan. It was quite a sight. Retton participated in many celebrations following the Olympics, including one in New York with a ticker tape parade. She said it was nothing compared to the celebration put on by her home town.

Retton did not realize what a celebrity she had become. Everyone knew who she was and had fallen in love with her contagious smile. Retton was requested for a plethora of television engagements, including the Tonight Show, where she chatted excitedly with Joan Rivers who was filling in for Johnny Carson at the time. "She won a nation's heart with spunk and a high-wattage smile," reports Steve Wieberg for USA Today. Retton could not go anywhere without being recognized. She tried to disguise herself by wearing sunglasses, but when you are a 4' 9" dynamo, it is hardly a disguise. Every girl in America wanted to be just like Retton to have her "winning combination of power and personality," as conveyed in Teen Magazine. In the same article Retton shared, "I thought I'd go to the Olympics, do my best, see what happened, then go back to normal life. But it didn't work out that way."

Awards and Accomplishments

Retton trained two more years with Karolyi, going on to win a third McDonald's American Cup Competition, which no one had done before. About her accomplishments she stated, "you have to have dedication. And you have to get the proper coaching." She continued by expressing her gratitude to Karolyi for his part in her success, saying "I couldn't have done it without him." Karolyi has nothing but good things to say about Retton as well saying "I have been teaching gymnastics 25 years, and had many world and Olympic champions, but

I have never coached anybody more positive and dedicated than this little girl." Retton returned the compliment to Karolyi, sharing "He gave me a confidence that I never would have had without him." She retired from full-time gymnastics in 1986, but has remained close to Karolyi.

Before Retton retired from full-time gymnastics she had already become involved in doing various endorsem*nts for various products. The most notable was Wheaties, as she was the first woman to grace the infamous box. Retton continued to do her endorsem*nts while attending the University of Texas. It was there she met her husband, Shannon Kelley. Kelley and Retton married in December of 1990. Kelley said "I know it sounds like a fairy tale, but when I first saw Mary Lou on television, I told my mom I had the strangest feeling that someday I would meet her and we would get married." It was only ten months later that the wheels went into motion to bring them together. Retton is now a mother to three children and continues to do motivational speaking across the country. "Retton's vivacity remains a breathtaking phenomenon," said Hollandsworth. Retton wrote an inspiring book in 2000 sharing her methods for happiness. "What I've been doing my whole life, from being in the Olympics to getting married and being a mother, is training for my own personal happiness. Now what I want to do is share my formula for happiness," she explained to Janice Lloyd of USA Today. In the book, she explains, "I tell people how to leave the comfort zone and meet life's challenges." Her and husband Shannon submitted a proposal for a program called Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop which is now shown on FamilyNet, as well as several other networks. She explained, "My show will create a foundation for kids – teach them the values of honesty and respect. We will educate and entertain through the use of physical movement. This will be an interactive program that will be both educational and fun."

Mary Lou Retton showed the world that it is possible to aspire to something and with dedication and a great attitude, go on to achieve your dreams. She has helped people to see one can truly be happy simply being the best person each individual is called to be. Retton wants everyone to be able to accomplish the happiness she has. She shared "I smile because I am truly, fundamentally happy" That big smile on the outside comes from a place deep within me—and I want others to know how to find that place within themselves." Retton continues to inspire people, making public appearances, and doing her show for children. Sullivan sums up Retton's future best, stating "Mary Lou will survive. Her pretty face and winning smile, her charm, her cheerful, upbeat matter will be there for us to see for years to come."

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Mary Lou Retton, c/o Washington Speakers Bureau, 1663 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Phone: (703) 684-0555.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY RETTON:

(With Bela Karolyi and John Powers) Mary Lou: Creating an Olympic Champion. McGraw–Hill Book Company, 1986.

(With David Bender) Gateways to Happiness: 7 Ways to a More Peaceful, More Prosperous, More Satisfying Life. New York: Broadway Books, 2000.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

"Mary Lou Retton." Contemporary Newsmakers 1985. Issue Cumulation. Gale Research, 1986.

"Mary Lou Retton." Great Women in Sports. Visible Ink Press, 1996.

Sullivan, George. Mary Lou Retton. New York: Julian Messner, 1985.

Woolum, Janet. Outstanding Women Athletes: Who They Are and How They Influenced Sports In America. Vol.1."Chapter 3, Outstanding Women Athletes Who Influenced American Sports: Mary Lou Retton." Oryx Press, 1992.

Woolum, Janet. Outstanding Women Athletes: Who They Are and How They Influenced Sports In America. Vol.1."Chapter 3, Outstanding Women Athletes Who Influenced American Sports: Olga Korbut." Oryx Press, 1992.

Periodicals

Becker, Debbie. "Retton Still Flips Over Her '84 Heroics." USA Today, (July 23, 1996): 06E.

Calkins, Laurel Brubaker. "'10'Again." People, (July 15, 1996): 65-71.

Hersch, Hank. "Beaming Again." Sports Illustrated, (October 27, 1992): 13.

Hollandsworth, Skip. "Change of Routine." Texas Monthly, (September 2000): 130.

Huzinec, Mary. "Passages." People, (November 28, 1994): 148.

Lloyd, Janice. "Retton's 'Gateways' Provide Her Balance Olympic Gymnast Discusses Her Life Since 1984 Gold." USA Today, (April 6, 2000): 03F.

"Mary Lou Retton: Life After the Olympics." Teen Magazine, (May 1985): 94.

Montville, Leigh. "Return of the Pixies Olympic Champion gymnast Olga Korbut and Mary Lou Retton Showed They Still Have A Lot of their Old Magic During a Crowd-Pleasing, Eight-City Tour." Sports Illustrated, (November 27, 1989): 34.

Torpy, Bill and Beth Warren. "Salt Lake City 2002: Gymnastics Legend Slips from Glory to Humiliation." Atlanta Journal and Constitution, (February 10, 2002): A1.

"Up Front: Mary Lou Retton Revels in Texas in Houston the Former Olympian Goes the Whole Nine Yards – of Tulle – as She Vaults into the Big Event, Grinning as Usual." People. (January 14, 1991): 50.

Weiner, Jay. "Where are They Now? Chernobyl Disaster Changed Korbut's Life and Her Location." Minneapolis Star Tribune. (August 1, 1996): 02S.

Wieberg, Steve. "Retton Reflects on Her Decade of Fame." USA Today, (August 3, 1994): 02.

Other

"Mary Lou Retton." http://www.ighof.com/honorees_marylou.html (January 6, 2003).

"Mary Lou Retton has Three More Reasons to Smile." Business Wire (March 7, 2000).

"Olga Korbut." http://www.olgakorbut.com/biogr.htm (January 6, 2003).

Reed, Susan. "Update: Golden Girl Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton Delivers Yet Another Perfect 10: Her First Child." Anne Maier in Houston (January 5, 2003).

Sketch by Barbra J Smerz