NEWSMary Lou Retton Celebrates Christmas With Her 4 Daughters as Gymnast Recovers From Life-Threatening Battle With Pneumonia
Mary Lou Retton was in great spirits as she celebrated the holidays with her four daughters this year.
On Tuesday, December 26, the Olympic gymnast shared a photo of all of her girls wearing matching Christmas hats, simply captioning the snap, "Merry Christmas 🎄🎁."
Mary Lou Retton has four daughters.
As OK! reported, the athlete, 55 — who shares her kids with Shannon Kelley — was hospitalized this fall due to a serious battle with pneumonia.
During her stay in the ICU, daughter McKenna Kelley kept fans updated on the situation, noting that at one point, the mother-of-four was "fighting for her life." Since the star reportedly didn't have life insurance, her kids launched a crowd-funding page for her medical costs.
The ladies set a goal of reaching $50,000, but within days, they were overwhelmed at the donation sum hitting nearly $200,000.
The athlete battled a severe case of pneumonia in the fall.
In October, it was revealed that the Dancing With the Stars alum was back home and on the road to recovery.
"As we gather to celebrate this Thanksgiving, my heart is overflowing with profound gratitude," Retton wrote on social media once she was feeling better. "I want to express how truly blessed and thankful I am to be slowly improving and to be home with my girls, especially after my time in the hospital."
Retton returned home from the hospital in October.
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"The love and support of my four amazing daughters have been a source of strength and inspiration throughout my journey," she continued. "Their presence in my life is a testament to the incredible bonds of family."
"My extended family, all of you, have shown me immeasurable kindness, offering prayers, encouragement, and unwavering support during my challenging times. Your love has been a beacon of hope in my life," Retton concluded. "I also want to express my gratitude to my Foxy family for always being there for me. Your friendship and support have been a constant source of comfort and joy."
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Retton shot to superstardom while competing in the 1984 Summer Olympics, where she became the first American female to take home the gold in the individual all-around competition.
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Some of her kids have followed in her gymnastics footsteps.
While the sport brought her much joy, it also took a toll on her body.
"When I was in the Olympics, we worked out all day long. It was literally eight hours every day. I lived it. I breathed it. I ate it. I slept it. Gymnastics is a very brutal sport, especially back in the '80s," she noted in a past interview. "Our equipment was pretty unforgiving. We would do 60 or 70 vaults a day and land on the hard surface."
