Health crisis for Mary Lou Retton

Skating?

 

There’s a mighty big percentage of 54-year-old Americans who would be wiped out financially by a possibly-terminal health crisis, even at a “good” job with insurance.

 

Mike Eruzione is still dining out on the 1980 Olympics.

 

You spelled “gymnastics” wrong.

 

Holy shit, what an epic brain fart. I am publicly denounced.

 

Mary Lou Retton is fifty. four. fucking. years. old.

I can still remember sitting in the slot when she did her vault thing. Hell, I can still see the "separations" -- when a color photo has been broken down into three or four images (IIRC one each for red, yellow and blue and one for black) -- that came through the newsroom's wire photo feed (it was an actual printer) that night.

And she's fifty. four. fucking. years. old.

I am older than water.

 

I don't care how old she looks, the 84 Retton is still burned into my memory, and the shit-eating grin.

a lot of young men wanted to play pommel horse with Mary Lou.

probably America's most famous gymnast.

 

True. But all the money from endorsements, speaking gigs, clinics, etc. .... where did it go?

 

My guess:

1. Someone got their hands on it. No one cared back then whether athletes kept their $$$. See Alan Eagleson and Bobby Orr. I bet she took zero financial literacy courses before or after winning gold.

2. Maybe somewhere under the Karolyis’ pillows?

3. She got divorced relatively recently I think. Wonder if the husband was the one who kept the insurance all those years. Also wonder how much she had to give up.

Edit: By “recent,” apparently I meant at least five years ago. Mary Lou Retton reveals secret divorce | CNN

Edit II: Apparently her ex did pretty well for himself. So my theory on her getting taken to the cleaners in a divorce is likely incorrect.

 

She apparently didn't see the potential windfall in marrying a Kardashian and getting a sex change.

 

Next thing we're going to hear that Zola Budd is on death's door.