The former Olympian says doctors 'still don't know' the exact issue with her lungs after an October 2023 nearly-fatal incident.
Mary Lou Retton is continuing to fight! The 56-year-old Olympian has been battling a rare issue with her lungs since October 2023 and is continuing to take her recovery day by day.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with ET's Deidre Behar, the historic gymnast gets more candid than ever before about the challenges she's faced in the past seven months and her hopes and goals for the future.
"It's been hard, I have to say," Retton tells ET, as she continues to have to wear oxygen in her daily life. "Give me a hip to rehab, give me a shoulder. The lungs are a different beast."
After having a "bit of a relapse" with her health, Retton insists she is "back."
"It's more discouragement than anything. Patience isn't one of my strong skillsets," she says with her signature smile and laugh. "My lungs are pretty scarred up and they're gonna stay that way forever."
Back in October 2023, Retton suffered a "scary" lung-related episode in which she was "oxygen-deprived" in her brain. She says she came close to being put on a ventilator and her four daughters were told to say their goodbyes.
"They inspire me, and they do every day," Retton says of daughters Shayla, McKenna, Skyla, and Emma. "They're extraordinary young women and my biggest accomplishment. Take my five medals. I'll take my daughters over that anytime."
As for what the real issue is with Retton's health, she admits, "They still don't know what's wrong with me. They're calling it a rare form of pneumonia."
She says it will be another year or year and a half before she's able to get rid of the oxygen tubes in her nose.
"I'm not a really depressed person, but this experience really changed me [mentally], and I've been struggling with that," Retton admits.
However, she is clear that she is "not ready" to give up.
"I have so much to look forward to," she gushes.
Retton is preparing for one daughter's wedding in the fall and to welcome her first grandchild, a baby girl named Penelope, in July.
"I don't want Mimi. I don't want Grammy or Grandma," she says, revealing her grandma name will be "Lou Lou." "All my friends either call me Tiny or Lou."
Retton has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support she has received since her health scare. Her daughters set up a crowd sourcing site to help combat the extreme medical costs as Retton was uninsured at the time, raising close to $500,000.
"I thought I was just some washed-up, old athlete, but I felt it," an emotional Retton shares.
She has since been insured through USA Gymnastics.
Retton became a national celebrity at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when she became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in gymnastics.
She went on to compete on Dancing with the Stars with pro Sasha Farber in 2018.
As for her future plans, the sky is the limit for the former athlete.
As she says, "I have a lot to look forward to, and I know that."
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