Olympic legend Mary Lou Retton is facing health struggles decades after making history as one of America’s most celebrated athletes, and her former brother-in-law claims it’s partly due to her gymnastics career.
Mary Lou Retton was the 1984 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion. Now, at 57 years old, she relies on oxygen support as she deals with ongoing medical complications, including the long-term effects of a rare illness.
“She couldn’t even take a full breath when I talked to her, she takes these little panting breaths,” said her ex-brother-in-law Shaun Kelley, who remains close to Retton, in an interview with The New York Post.
Kelley noted that Retton frequently uses an oxygen cannula, remains on medication, and has endured several painful hip surgeries. He last spoke with her a few weeks ago and said the toll on her body is the result of the intense physical demands of her gymnastics career.
Retton became a household name at just 16 when she won five medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and became the first female athlete to appear on a Wheaties box. Her powerful routines and bright personality made her a national icon.
In recent years, however, she’s been in the spotlight for different reasons. On May 17, 2025, she was charged with driving under the influence after local police in Fairmont, West Virginia, reportedly found her in her 2019 Porsche Macan in an AutoZone parking lot.
Two years prior, in 2023, Retton faced a serious health crisis after contracting a rare and life-threatening form of pneumonia. Though she survived the ordeal, the experience left her physically drained and in a prolonged state of recovery.
“My lungs are so scarred. It will be a lifetime of recovery. My physicality was the only thing I had, and it was taken away from me. It’s embarrassing,” she told People in an exclusive interview.
