[26][27][28] In 2019, Retton became a spokesperson for Australian Dream, a pain relief cream. The bill even goes as far as to specifically cite emotional and physical forms of abuse as well. If Congress hasn’t done anything by now that bill won’t either and no it’s not a start. She got the gold. 27 of those spots went to gymnasts who later came forward as a Nassar survivor. The Gymternet has plenty of ammunition when it comes to finding reasons to hate Mary Lou Retton. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is a retired American gymnast. Hardcover $6.96 $ 6. Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast who trained with Romanian coach Bela Karolyi and won the American Cup and the U.S. Nationals. Retton declined. The bill was entirely sports related. Desert Diva. ")[6] Her father, Ronnie, operated a coal-industry transportation equipment business. She was born on 24th January 1968. That’s what makes Retton’s actions such a big problem. [31] Despite these efforts, on February 14, 2018 the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization of 2017 was signed into law and became effective immediately. In your diatribe you’re forgetting that you are not in a position to judge Rettons actions, she alone is responsible not you, as are all individuals. 1997), a former NCAA gymnast at Louisiana State University, Skyla (b. For an organization notoriously incompetent when it comes to combating all the problems within its ranks, USAG suddenly becomes ruthlessly efficient when it wants to find a way to combat reform. 3 august 1984: mary lou retton of usa competes on the balance beam on her way to the gold medal in the individual all-around gymnastics at the 1984 los angeles olympics. This home was built in 1956 and last sold on 7/11/2016 for $38,000. They have been present at high profile gatherings where gymnasts discuss problems in the sport. At the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she achieved perfect scores in her final two events to win a dramatic victory in the all-around exercises. I believe it is important to ask these questions and make sure “all your bases are covered” rather than just blindly follow a narrative. Mary Lou Retton had come to the realization that the combination of her hip dysplasia and the effects of performing an estimated 150,000 vaults during her career had resulted in the need for total hip replacement surgery. Retton would later appear on the Today Show where she would state the following: “It’s a beautiful sport filled with beautiful people, and the spotlight’… Mary Lou Retton was the sixth American to win a major medal (World Championships/Olympics) in women’s gymnastics. Mary Lou Retton has dated – Shannon Kelley (1990-2018) – Mary started going out with Shannon Kelley, who is a former football player and real estate developer, while he was still studying in the university. It allows child sexual abuse victims to sue their abuser or institutions until age 55. Follow their social media accounts and it is not hard to find them making a comment that can be perceived as critical of USAG. Over the course of their marriage, she has given birth to 4 daughters, Shayla (b. It largely stems from the idea that perhaps Congress was being unfair to USAG. This consisted of a transition (front flip) from low- to high-bar, resulting in the gymnast perched or "sitting" on top of the high bar. Lastly, what Retton said follows a mindset of just wanting the negative attention to die down so USAG can carry on with the status quo and avoid implementing reform. Sports was the entire focus of the bill with a special emphasis on national governing bodies such as USAG. Mary Lou Retton. When the sex abuse bill was introduced, Penny and others from U.S.A. Now, I can get through a normal day without a hot flash, and my sheets aren’t soaked every night. She is a frequent analyst for televised gymnastics and attended The University of Texas at Austin after the Olympics. Mary Lou Retton is an Olympic gymnast best known for winning five medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, including gold in the individual all-around competition. Tokyo Olympics 2020 Olympic Official Art Poster Taku Sato B2 (H72cm×W51cm) $77.99. The monster put a spotlight on the decades-old cesspool. She will say anything to uphold USAG’s positions. At the 1984 Olympics in … [24], Retton has many commercial endorsements, including bowling and shampoo. He would later leave the Republican Party and become the first Independent in the House of Representatives since Bernie Sanders. Only 1 left in stock - order soon. It wasn’t a case of a general bill designed to combat sexual abuse in all areas of society that added a small title covering sports as well. She also got two bronze medals and two silver medals. [11], Retton divorced her husband in February 2018.[12]. 2002). Helpful. The five that preceded her are Cathy Rigby, Marcia Frederick, Kathy Johnson, Tracee Talavera, and Julianne McNamara. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is a retired American gymnast. It also took meetings with USAG so they could give their perspective as well. 5.0 out of 5 stars Mary Lou - #1. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is a retired American gymnast. They also have widespread problems and would rather ignore the problem than confront it and risk exposing an even wider degree of abuse. One week after the Sex Abuse bill was passed, USAG released a statement from Mary Lou Retton to counter criticisms from Dominique Moceanu. The 2021 4word Gala is NOW VIRTUAL! View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. ( Log Out / The reader with a keen eye may notice that nowhere does it say USAG opposed the bill. Even if that involves a popular bill designed to protect children from sexual abuse. : Mary Lou Retton Photos & Info, List of competitive results at Gymn Forum, Olympic Champions in Artistic Gymnastics – Women's All-Around, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, United States women's national soccer team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary_Lou_Retton&oldid=1001011937, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Olympic silver medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Originators of elements in artistic gymnastics, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from May 2019, FIG template with biography number same as Wikidata, FIG template with licence number same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1982: 1/25/82 "Little House On The Prairie" "The Legacy". And it’s a problem.”. There is no Defense for the Actions of Mary Lou Retton, Ranking the Most Dominant Hungarian Gymnasts, Ranking the Most Dominant Czechoslovakian Gymnasts. Mary Lou Retton reveals she got divorced on 'DWTS' Gold medal winning gymnast, Mary Lou Retton, announced in a rehearsal segment for 'DWTS' that she … They don’t want more rules regarding the safety of children that will increase their regulatory burden. “It’s a beautiful sport filled with beautiful people, and the spotlight’s going to the monster. Retton has decided to be an ambassador for the well being of USAG, not for the well being of gymnasts. The tactic was rather obvious. When the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization of 2017[30] was introduced to the 115th Congress, she and other members of USA Gymnastics met with the bill sponsor, Senator Dianne Feinstein, with the aim of convincing her to drop the bill. Two hip replacements, a nutritious diet, and many multivitamins later, she’s living her best healthy lifestyle today in spite of her major issues. USAG used Mary Lou Retton who is one of the most famous and iconic gymnasts in American history to drown out opposition from lesser known gymnasts such as Moceanu. She appeared on a Wheaties box, and became the cereal's first official spokeswoman. Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her divorce from ex-husband Shannon Kelley. 1. He wrote a 772 word Facebook post defending his actions. The only thing Retton is guilty of is having a dream to become a champion after watching Nadia perform, having to contend with hip dysplasia her entire life and knee surgery 5 weeks before the 1984 Olymypics and winning the all-round. Wretched probably wouldn’t have finished in the top TEN had the Olympics not been boycotted and had they not been in amurrIKKKa. Sitting next to the lady in the red blouse who is bidding], This page was last edited on 17 January 2021, at 20:50. You do realize the head coach of your 1984 Olympic team was a sexual predator, right? [29], Retton was thrust back into the spotlight when the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal hit the news in 2017. Did it actually happen? Furthermore, her father was a former collegiate basketball player. The quote implies Nassar was a stain on the image of a good system rather than a predator who found so much success abusing gymnasts because the system is flawed. Worse, she would not support the “Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act” – aka “SafeSport Act”. Sanford would later lose the Republican nomination for his seat, effectively losing his reelection before he could participate in a general election. I usually don't mind giving autographs, but when hundreds of folks with paper and pen start coming at you, it's time to seek shelter. She was married to former University of Texas quarterback and Houston real estate developer Shannon Kelley, who now works for the Houston Baptist University athletic department. Learn more about Retton… ft. single-family home is a 3 bed, 1.0 bath property. Few gymnasts have the clout to make an appearance on the Today Show anytime they want. I will then answer those questions so you can see for yourself whether Retton’s actions are defendable in any way. ( Log Out / Society is responsible not Retton, you and others are terribly naive about the true scope of the problem and it doesn’t start, stop or end with one deviant doctor. Andrew Cuomo signed into law on Feb. 14. [10] Together they have four daughters: Shayla (b. Resulting in a bill that was poorly thought out and had glaring flaws. ft. single-family home is a 2 bed, 1.0 bath property. Thus USAG can be defended under the guise that there were legitimate reasons to oppose this bill. Previously the cutoff was age 23.”. 96 $22.95 $22.95. 1702 Mary Lou Retton Dr , Fairmont, WV 26554-2004 is currently not for sale. Spending resources doing that rather than on their gymnasts. So then there isn’t teenage prostitution, sex gangs, sex slaves, sex trafficking in the US that’s been going on for many, many decades? ( Log Out / The group doesn’t say how all of that money was spent, but the increase was enough to draw the scrutiny of nine members of Congress, who expressed concern about the nature of the group’s advocacy.”, Catholic Church:“In New York, the church spent $2,912,772 in what ultimately was a failed bid to prevent the passage of the Child Victims Act, which Gov. When it came to my menopause symptoms, for four years I searched for relief and tried everything. Great Article.. wouldn’t here being able to go on the Today show anytime she wants be more of NBC kissing her ass than USA GYM? She was now psychologically prepared to proceed. Under the Károlyis, Retton soon began to make a name for herself in the U.S., winning the American Cup in 1983 and placing second to Dianne Durham (another Károlyi student) at the US Nationals that same year. I actually welcome this kind of commentary. Their are many women that suffered sex abuse in the US and no one has done a thing for them. Mary Lou Retton's Gateways to Happiness: 7 Ways to a More Peaceful, More Prosperous, More Satisfying Life. SPEAKING Get in touch with Mary Lou’s team about appearing at your next event. It will never be stamped out by more useless bills and there are thousands of those until people are willing to accept they are corrupt themselves and like in many areas of life not just sports sexual abuse is not only covered up and kept quiet but promoted by the media as something that didn’t even occur to protect their own. Mark Sanford wrote an 826 word Facebook post defending his vote. Amash believes the Constitution gives Congress the power to criminalize only a few activities and everything else should be criminalized by the states. So they brainstorm possible explanations to make sense of it all. Society as a whole is responsible not Retton. He also expressed opposition to the concept of a mandatory reporter as he considers it a “thought crime” and such activity can’t be criminalized. ( Log Out / It speaks volumes as to just how reprehensible and evil of an organization USAG is. The activity of sexual abuse in this country as well as many other crimes is in fact not an individual crime it is a crime that in the US is well known and been allowed to continue up to the highest office in the land. $50.00. So go ahead deny it, that IS the problem. She was coached by Gary Rafaloski. Mary Lou Retton Cheers on Daughter at Gymnastics Championships. So what I am going to do is take all the questions I have seen about Retton and this incident that either defend her, or express confusion about it. Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. Good Your Childhood. Retton delivered the Pledge of Allegiance with fellow former gymnast and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kerri Strug on the second night of the 2004 Republican National Convention. [23], During the 1990s, Retton worked as a spokeswoman for the U.S. drugstore chain Revco, appearing in advertisements for it. It then spent another 2.5 months (10 weeks) undergoing floor debate before being passed on 1/29/2018. Even as so many of her contemporaries did, even as the sport underwent chaos within ten years of her 1984 victory when USAG witnessed the deaths of two high profile athletes in the early 1990s. Mary Lou Retton is an America’s sweetheart gymnast who gained her fame after winning first American woman to win an all-around Olympic gold medal. Most notably he was the only representative from Michigan to vote against federal aid for the Flint Water Crisis effectively declaring he won’t support an increase in federal spending even when the money is going to his own state. Retton had surgery on a knee injury just 5 weeks before the 1984 Olympics so regardless of what that rhetoric that I’m reading in the last comment, she’s a champion. Note: Bela Karolyi was her personal coach. I already loved Mary Lou Retton so learning more about her was great fun and accomplished our goal of a great book report. Others will classify them as a more extreme faction of the Republican Party who will vote against nearly any measure that expands the power of the federal government, adds more regulations, and costs more money. And her “win” came only due to the score carryover rule (changed a few years later) although Szabo, a multiple World AA and individual medalist (Wretched never went to a Worlds or ANY major international competition–SCAM Cup is neither major, unbiased, nor truly international) was vastly and clearly superior and, in fact, won AA finals. For her performance, she was named Sports Illustrated Magazine's "Sportswoman of the Year." The New York Times would state the following: “The federation has had no shame, either. It expands the role of the United States Olympic Committee to include promoting a “safe environment in sports that is free from abuse” and designates SafeSport as the independent organization authorized with jurisdiction over abuse cases. [7] She competed in the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles, California, during her sophomore year of high school. She simply doesn’t care and will tout a line about reputable gyms being the answer. [15] She retired in 1986. According to Nancy Hogshead-Makar who is one of the most notable (and effective) advocates of reform in the Olympic sports, Retton was asked to support the Sex Abuse Bill. Retton was inspired by watching Nadia Comăneci outshine defending Olympic two-event winner Olga Korbut on television at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, when she herself was eight years of age, and she took up gymnastics in her hometown of Fairmont, WV. Supporters of said ideology often brand themselves as moderates. Members of Congress who had taken a leadership role in promoting the bill met privately with gymnasts who had been abused to give them a say in the process. It expands and strengthens mandatory reporter laws for those who suspect child abuse.3. Considering that Karolyi has coached many champions around the world including the famed Nadia Comăneci and of course Retton. With Yurchenko, Gnauck, Mostepanova, Szabo, Ricna, Stoyanova, and scads of other clearly superior gymnasts in event finals, Wretched would have won ZERO medals. Sanders is now an Independent in the Senate. By Washington D.C. standards, the Sex Abuse Bill was a somewhat lengthy process. [13] She recovered just in time for this most prestigious of tournaments, and in the competition, which was boycotted by the Soviet bloc nations except for Romania, Retton was engaged in a close battle with Ecaterina Szabo of Romania for the all-around gold medal. The Sex Abuse Bill took longer to pass than the trademark legislative accomplishments of Obama and Trump combined. Retton can be described as a member of USAG’s inner circle, working with the organization to ensure the only perception of the sport that is presented is one that doesn’t discourage participation rates. Such behavior sounds so awful that I often see people try to defend it. To know her net worth, her salary, daughter and where is she now? But by the time she hit her early 30s, she could hardly do simple motions. This includes things that are incorrect, illogical, and even dangerous as they give parents a false sense of security. [Seen as woman sitting in front row of auction in white blouse. He went as far as to cite specific high profile cases of men who were falsely accused of rape. Mary Lou Retton may have been the first American woman to win all-around gold at the Olympics, but her daughter McKenna Kelley says that growing … Justin Amash is the founder and leader of the group. Their various advocacy have covered topics such as sexual abuse, eating disorders, biased team selections, and leaving child athletes unprepared for adulthood. One of which was a national team member from Retton’s era. For six years, I kept my five Olympic medals wrapped in a plastic bread bag beneath my bed. How about this for a public-relations stunt: Tagging along was Mary Lou Retton, the smiling, bubbly sweetheart from the 1984 Games, as they said that the federation’s policies were solid and that gymnastics was a happy, safe place.”. But for Retton, it’s a massive problem because she is one of the most famous, recognizable, and well known gymnasts in American history. Sanford argued SafeSport was given too much authority and argued on behalf of the rights of the accused. All three are members of the Liberty Caucus. Trailing Szabo (after uneven bars and balance beam) by 0.15 with two events to go, Retton scored perfect 10s on floor exercise and vault—the last event in an especially dramatic fashion, as there had been fears that her knee injury and the subsequent surgery might impair her performance. The three Congressmen were Justin Amash, Thomas Massie, and Mark Sanford. she wins with a total score of 79.175 points. She turned 50 years of age in 2018. They got engaged in 1989 and got married in a romantic ceremony in 1990. It spent eight months in committee before the bill made its way to the floor on 11/14/2017. The bill took 11 months to pass. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. [8], Retton lived in Houston, Texas,[9] until 2009, when her family returned to West Virginia. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The bill was passed unanimously in the Senate and 406-3 in the House of Representatives. And it’s a problem.” @marylouretton on Larry Nassar and the future of gymnastics pic.twitter.com/Ihza2aWz6h. His seat is now held by a Democrat. Having retired from gymnastics after winning an unprecedented third American Cup title in 1985, as noted above, she later had cameo appearances as herself in Scrooged and Naked Gun 33'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-0000003E-QINU`"' 1⁄3: The Final Insult. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition, as well as two silver medals and two bronze medals. Her parents are Ronnie Retton and Lois Retton. [14] Retton won the all-around gold medal by 0.05 points, beating Szabo and becoming the first American to receive the all-around gold medal. Yet here you are ranting about Retton, it’s just laughable. Read more. [3], Her gold medal win was historic as Retton was the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The bulk of Amash’s reasoning was largely based on political ideology. Mary Lewd WRETCHED is a permanent stain on gymnastics in every way. Homes for sale in Mary Lou Retton Dr, Fairmont, WV have a median listing price of $149,400. They don’t want the statue of limitations extended that will open them up to more lawsuits. She then decided to move to Houston, Texas, to train under Romanians Béla and Márta Károlyi, who had coached Nadia Comăneci before their defection to the United States.