Mary Lou Retton: Former Gymnast and US Olympic Legend Who Won Five Medals in 1984 Games Arrested for DUI in West Virginia
Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was arrested earlier this month for DUI in West Virginia. According to online records from the West Virginia Magistrate Court system, the 57-year-old former gymnast was arrested in Marion County on May 17 for "driving influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs."
Retton is facing a misdemeanor DUI charge and was released after posting a $1,500 bond on the same day. Reports of her arrest began surfacing on Monday. She made headlines in 2023 after her daughters revealed that Retton was struggling with a rare type of pneumonia, which left the Olympic legend in critical condition in a hospital ICU, fighting for her life.
Making the Wrong Move
Retton's family launched a fundraising campaign on a crowdfunding platform, collecting $200,000 within just one day. "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," said Kelley.
Retton was later discharged from the hospital, and during a January 2024 interview on "Today," she spoke candidly about her health battle.
"I am so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here, because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support," she said in the interview.
Retton shot to fame in the 1980s when she won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.
A Legend for Gymnasts
During the games, she won a total of five medals, including the gold in the all-around event, making her the first American woman to achieve this feat.
In addition to her gold medal, Retton won two silver and two bronze medals in 1984. The same year, Sports Illustrated honored her as the Sportsperson of the Year for her outstanding Olympic performance.
She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and also appeared in various movies and television shows, such as a 1993 episode of "Baywatch" and the 1994 movie "Naked Gun 33 ¹/₃: The Final Insult."
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