Mary Lou Retton opens up about illness: 'They were about to put me on life support'

Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton faced “death in the eyes” while in intensive care, she said in her first interview since a life-threatening bout of pneumonia this past fall.

Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton faced “death in the eyes” while in intensive care, she said in her first interview since a life-threatening bout of pneumonia this past fall.

In an interview with Hoda Kotb of NBC's "TODAY" show from Retton's home in Boerne, Texas, the 55-year-old icon said she's grateful for every day of life even if there are still so many unanswered questions about her medical condition.

"I mean when you face death in the eyes, I have so much to look forward to," Retton said in the interview that aired Monday.

She added: "I'm a fighter and I'm not going to give up. I'm not going to give up. I have no idea what the future holds for me. I don't know if I'm going to have lasting issues with my lungs. They don't know. I wish I had answers. But I would never give up. It's not in me."

Sitting with her eldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, and breathing with the help of a nasal oxygen tube, Retton said she struggles to discuss ongoing health issues.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mary-lou-retton-olympic-gold-medal-gymnast-pneumonia-rcna132597

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