Former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton ‘fighting for her life’ in hospital with pneumonia

Mary Lou Retton performs. Photo / Getty Images

Former Olympic champion gymnast Mary Lou Retton is “fighting for her life”, her daughter has shared on social media.

Daughter, McKenna Kelley, posted on Instagram that the 55-year-old has been diagnosed with “a very rare form of pneumonia” and is “not able to breathe on her own.

“Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she not insured,” Kelley said on the online fundraising website spotfund.

“We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill.”

Retton shot to prominence when at the age of just 16 she won five medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles - including gold in the all-around competition. This performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States.

Her gold medal win was historic as Retton was the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics.

Even more remarkable was that she had undergone knee surgery just five weeks before the 1984 Games - after feeling her knee lock while she was sitting down to sign autographs.

Following this performance, she was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportswoman of the Year and was the first female athlete to be pictured on the front of a Wheaties box.

1984 was to be Retton’s only Olympics. After winning the American Cup all-around competition for the third and final time in 1985, she retired in 1986.

In 1997, Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.