Anyone that watched the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles became absolutely smitten with Mary Lou Retton. Not only did she demonstrate a performance of pure excellence, but she represented everything that was wholesome about the United States. Her original family name of Rotundo was changed to Retton when they arrived at Ellis Island, and Mary Lou is intensely proud of her Italian heritage.

Born in 1968 in Virginia, Mary Lou developed an intense love of gymnastics are an early age. She relocated to Houston, Texas to be under the instruction of Bela Karolyi, the famed Romanian coach. Her cute perkiness, combined with a very compact and strong frame led her to wins at a variety of competitions, including the U.S. Nationals and the American Cup. Her 4’ 9” size was smaller than the standard, but every ounce of her weight was pure powerhouse toned muscle.

The 1984 Olympics brought Mary Lou into a whole new arena, but she was up for the challenge. It was a very rough Olympic year, as the Soviet Union was boycotting the competition as a response to the U.S. boycott of the Olympics four years previously in Moscow. When Mary Lou came onto the performing area, you would never have known there was any political strain. Her strength and agility, combined with a cute, perky attitude was apparent in every move that she made. That year she became the first American woman to win the all-around gymnastic competition and came home with a gold medal. She didn’t stop there; Mary Lou added 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals to her winnings, which cascaded her to the biggest winning athlete of the 1984 Olympics. The results of the game were astounding because she accomplished all of this within two months of knee surgery.

Upon returning from the Olympics, the marketing companies were all but knocking down Mary Lou’s door. She was the epitome of an American hero and a well-needed icon for young girls to look up to. Mary Lou was the Sports Illustrated 1984 “Sportswoman of the Year” as well as the Associated Press “Amateur Athlete of the Year”. She became the first woman to have her likeness on the front of a box of “Wheaties” breakfast cereal. The media circuit was also added to her bag as she took the tour of lectures and television interviews. Mary Lou had small role appearances in a few movies, including Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult and Scrooged.

In 1985, Mary Lou Retton was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. By 1993 her credits were enhanced when she was given another prestigious award to include the Associated Press “Most Popular Athlete in America”.

In a time of stress and duress in the world, the Olympics are usually seen as an escape for all cultures and countries. This was not the case during the 1984 Olympics and yet, Mary Lou Retton was a breathe of fresh air that everyone needed.

Mary Lou retired not too long after her Olympic triumphs but continued in the media with commercials and commentaries.