Mary Lou Retton, one of the most famous and successful gymnasts in the history of the sport, has four children.
The four kids of Mary Lou Retton are Shayla, McKenna, Skyla and Emma Kelley – all children she had with former quarterback Shannon Kelley.
Mary Lou Retton was a world-class gymnast, winning five medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, including a gold medal in the individual all-around competition – the first individual Olympic medal ever won by an American woman.
Unsurprisingly, all her four daughters of Mary Lou Retton have followed her footsteps in one way or another.
In this article, we take a look at all four children of Mary Lou Retton – Shayla Rae Kelley, Mckenna Lane Kelley, Skyla Brae Kelley and Emma Jean Kelley – as well as the life-threatening pneumonia she recently contracted and the fundraiser her daughter started.
Mary Lou Retton Children
Mary Lou Retton 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.
They tied the knot in 1990 and split after 27 years of marriage.
Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Kelley welcomed four children – all daughters – Shayla (born 1995), McKenna (born 1997), Skyla (born 2000), and Emma (born 2002).
All of them have been involved with gymnastics, just like their mother.
Shayla competed at the collegiate level for Baylor University, where she won two national championships with her team.
McKenna followed her mother’s footsteps and became an NCAA gymnast at Louisiana State University, where she also won two national titles with her team.
Skyla also trained in gymnastics but has gone the path of cheerleading and Emma is currently making a name for herself at the University of Arkansas.
Mary Lou Retton has always been proud of her daughters and their accomplishments.
She often posts photos and videos of them on her social media accounts, showing her love and support.
She also attends their competitions and events whenever she can, cheering them on from the sidelines.
Mary Lou Retton Children – Shayla Kelley
Shayla Rae Kelley was born on April 12th 1995, in Houston, Texas.
She is the eldest daughter of Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Kelley.
Shayla started gymnastics at a very young age, training with her sister Mckenna.
Shayla attended High School at the Second Baptist School in Houston where she competed in club gymnastics at Aerial Port Gymnastics from 2009-2012 and Stars Houston from 2012-2013.
She was the level nine regional vault champion and the level nine state all-around champion.
Shayla Kelly graduated from Second Baptist cum laude in 2014.
College Career
Shayla joined the Baylor Bears at Baylor University but missed out her freshman year due to injury.
In subsequent years, she would perform in several competitions and prove her mettle many times over.
As a sophomore in 2015, Shayla participated in all seven meets and qualified for two events at the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) Individual Championships.
She was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the spring semester.
As a junior in 2016, Shayla Rae Kelly participated in all 10 meets.
She qualified for three events at the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) Individual Championships and won one — the Pyramid Flip Heat.
She recorded an impressive 9.9 with the team in heat three of the toss vs. Quinnipiac and posted a 9.85 in heat three of the toss event vs. Oregon.
Shayla helped the Baylor Bears team post a perfect 10 in heat one of the pyramid event vs. Alderson Broaddus and also received a 9.85 in heat three of the macro event vs. Adrian and Fairmont State (3/14) …
Her performances earned her a Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (spring 2016).
Shayla is married to Wyatt Schrepfer, and her Instagram page @shaylaschrepfer is mainly filled with photos of them having fun in the outdoors.
Mckenna Kelley
Mckenna Lane Kelley was born on April 15, 1997, in Houston, Texas.
She is the second daughter of Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Kelley, a former quarterback for the University of Texas.
She started gymnastics at the age of three, following her mother’s footsteps.
Mckenna was a talented and promising gymnast from a young age.
She competed in various levels of the Junior Olympic program, winning several state and regional titles.
She also qualified for the Junior National Team in 2012, placing sixth in the all-around at the Junior Olympic National Championships.
College Career
Mckenna received a full scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU), where she joined the LSU Tigers women’s gymnastics team in 2016.
She made an immediate impact as a freshman, contributing to the team’s second-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Mckenna earned All-American honors on floor exercise and vault, as well as SEC Freshman of the Year award.
Mckenna continued to excel as a sophomore, becoming a key member of the team that won its first SEC Championship title in school history.
She also helped the team reach its second consecutive NCAA Super Six final, where they finished as runners-up again.
She earned All-American honors on floor exercise, vault and balance beam.
Mckenna’s junior year was marred by injuries, as she tore her Achilles tendon during a practice session in April 2017.
She missed the entire season, but remained supportive of her teammates who won another SEC Championship and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships.
Mckenna made a remarkable comeback as a senior, returning to full health and form.
She became one of the leaders and stars of the team that won its third straight SEC Championship and advanced to its fourth consecutive NCAA Super Six final.
She scored a perfect 10 on floor exercise in her final routine, earning a standing ovation from the crowd and her teammates.
She also earned All-American honors on floor exercise and vault.
Mckenna graduated from LSU in 2019 with a degree in mass communication and went on to pursue a master’s degree in sports administration at LSU.
Mary Lou Retton daughter McKenna Lane Kelley can be found on Instagram @mckennkelley
She is engaged to Braden Doughty.
Mary Lou Retton Daughter Skyla Kelley
The third of the four children of Mary Lou Retton is Skyla Brae Kelley, who was born on August 4, 2000, in Houston, Texas.
She is the third daughter of Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Kelley.
She also started gymnastics at a very young age but later moved into competitive cheerleading and dance.
Skyla Kelley grduated from Texas Tech University in 2023 and can be found on Instagram @skyla_kelley
Emma Kelley
Emma Jean Kelley was born on November 9, 2002, in Houston, Texas.
She is the youngest daughter of Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Kelley.
She also started gymnastics at a very young age, training with her sisters.
Kelley is a level 10 gymnast from Fun & Fitness Gymnastics in Richmond, Texas, and has competed at that distinction since the start of 2016.
In her first year at level 10, she finished fourth in the all-around at the Texas State Championships after turning in the top scores in the vault (9.800) and floor (9.675) events.
She has competed twice in 2019, at the Kurt Thomas Invitational and the Star Struck Invitational.
College Career
Emma Kelley joined the University of Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics team.
After missing out her freshman year due to injury, Emma came back with a bang in her sophomore season in 2022.
She made her collegiate debut that year and led off the 2022 slate for the Hogs in the first spot on vault against Ohio State and scored a 9.800 (Jan. 7).
She also appeared in the vault lineup eight times, bars twice and floor once.
In her junior year in 2023, Emma Kelley made three appearances in the vault lineup and improved her score each time – setting a new personal high of 9.825 on March 10 against Minnesota.
Emma Kelley can be found on Instagram @emmajeankelley
Mary Lou Retton Fundraiser
On October 10, 2023, Mary Lou Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley revealed on her Instagram story that her mother was critically ill with a rare form of pneumonia.
She said that Retton had been in the ICU for over a week and was not able to breathe on her own.
According to Kelley, Retton has been diagnosed with “a very rare form of pneumonia” that affects only one in a million people.
The condition is called eosinophilic pneumonia, which is caused by an abnormal accumulation of white blood cells called eosinophils in the lungs. This leads to inflammation, difficulty breathing, fever, coughing, and weight loss.
The exact cause of eosinophilic pneumonia is unknown, but it may be triggered by allergies, infections, medications, or environmental factors.
Mary Lou Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley on behalf of all the children revealed that her mother was not insured and asked for prayers and donations to help cover her medical bills.
She started a Mary Lou Retton fundraiser at Spotfund which can be accessed at this link.
It reads…
“Hey everyone! On behalf of my sisters and I, we need y’all’s help. 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. 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.
“ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!”
The go fund me style fundraiser for Mary Lou Retton has raised over $138,000 out of an initial $50,000 goal as at this writing.
Mary Lou Retton is a gymnastics legend and a loving mother who is facing a rare and life-threatening illness.
She needs our prayers, donations, and messages of support to help her through this ordeal. She has touched so many lives with her talent, charisma, and kindness. Now, it’s our turn to touch hers with our generosity, compassion, and gratitude.
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