MARY LOU RETTON'S DAUGHTER EMMA KELLEY IS ENGAGED: 'COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED'
Emma said "yes" to partner Hudson Clark and shared the happy news on Instagram on Sunday, June 30
Mary Lou Retton's daughter Emma Kelley is engaged!
Emma shared the news in a joint Instagram post with her new fiancé, Hudson Clark, on Sunday, June 30.
"WE'RE ENGAGED!! Couldn't be more excited and ready to walk God's path together!!" Emma, 22, wrote in the caption. "My partner for life, I love you 💍💍🤍."
"Let's do this life together!! 🤞🏼🤞🏼," she added.
The post featured a series of photos of Clark's romantic proposal, which appeared to take place in a gazebo outside. One shot captured Clark down on one knee in front of Emma, who had her hand over her mouth in surprise. In another image, he slipped Emma's sparkly ring on her finger as she smiled with excitement.
The pair both attended the University of Arkansas. Following in her mom's footsteps, Emma competed with the school's gymnastics squad. Clark was a defensive back for the Razorbacks football team from 2020 to 2023, racking up numerous accolades including a 2023 First-Team Academic All-American honor.
Emma is Retton's youngest child. The Olympic gold medalist, 56, also shares daughters Shayla, 29, McKenna, 27, and Skyla, 23, with her ex-husband Shannon Kelley.
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Related: Mary Lou Retton Is Going to Be a Grandma! Former Gymnast's Daughter Skyla Expecting First Baby
Emma's engagement follows even more happy news for her family. McKenna is set to get married this fall, and in May, Shayla shared a photo on Instagram revealing that Skyla was pregnant and expecting Retton's first grandchild.
Per Shayla's caption, the former professional athlete and her daughters were celebrating Emma's college graduation at the time as they posed together for the family snapshot.
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"The best weekend celebrating my baby sister’s graduation! @emmajeankelley we are SO proud of you and can’t wait to see you crush it in adulthood!" Shayla wrote.
Skyla stood next to her mom in the photo, wearing a fitted blue dress that highlighted her baby bump. Her family later celebrated her with a baby shower in June, and Shayla shared photos of the butterfly-themed party on Instagram.
Last year, Retton's daughters rallied around her as she faced a serious medical ordeal that left her "fighting for her life." In October 2023, McKenna shared on her Instagram Stories that her mother was in the ICU with a rare form of pneumonia. Later that month, McKenna posted an update, revealing that Retton was home from the hospital and in "recovery mode."
Retton opened up about her health crisis for the first time in January, telling Today's Hoda Kotb at the time that she was still "on oxygen" and "very much" in a "vulnerable state" months after her illness.
"Usually my interviews are, 'Oh, yeah, it felt great to win the Olympics,' you know? This is serious and this is life," she said. "I'm so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here, because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support."
In May, Retton gave another update on her health, telling Entertainment Tonight that she had a "bit of a relapse" with her recovery, but was "back" on track. She also reflected on how difficult it was for her daughters to see their mom so sick in the hospital.
"They inspire me, and they do every day," Retton said of her four girls. "They're extraordinary young women and my biggest accomplishment. Take my five medals. I'll take my daughters over that anytime."
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