American gymnastics icon Mary Lou Retton is fighting a rare form of pneumonia. Who is she?

A woman whose impact went way beyond the sport that made her famous, one can only hope and pray as she now battles for life against a rare and progressive condition. Here we take a look at not just what’s happened to her, but rather who is Mary Lou Retton?

Mary Lou Retton fighting severe pneumonia

According to a statement from her daughter, McKenna Kelley, Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton is “fighting for her life.” On Tuesday, Kelley posted a fundraising campaign in an effort to support her mother, who she says is suffering from a “rare form of pneumonia.” Kelly also added that Retton has been in the hospital’s ICU for more than a week now and is unable to breathe on her own. To that end, Kelley has asked for financial support for her mother who she has indicated is without insurance. It’s understood that any proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to Retton’s hospital bills.

“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,” Kelley wrote in her fundraising post. “ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!”

Who is Mary Lou Retton?

It was during the 1984 Summer Olympics in 1984 that Retton, who is now 55 years old, became an American icon. Not only did she win all-around gold becoming the first American woman to do so, but she also won silver in the team and vault events, as well as bronze in floor exercise and uneven bars. It’s also worth noting that Retton’s all-around gold was the first by any American competitor since Julius Lenhart did so in 1904. Adding further context to that notion is the fact that Lenhart was an Austrian citizen who was competing through an American gymnastics club for Team U.S.A. during the early years of the modern Olympics.

Yet, perhaps what makes Retton’s achievements that summer even more special, is that she had underdone knee surgery just five weeks prior. Of course, as she entered her final rotation in need of a perfect 10 on the vault, she did what she would do many more times: She stuck her landing and won gold. That famous win came at the height of Soviet dominance in gymnastics. With the former U.S.S.R. boycotting that summer’s Olympics, however, the Americans managed to secure a historic win. It would be 20 years before another managed to do the same, with Paul Hamm and Carly Patterson doing so in 2004. After retiring from gymnastics in 1986, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. Interestingly, Retton would go on to receive a number of roles in various television shows and movies and even served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during George W. Bush’s administration.