Nature’s Bounty, one of the most trusted vitamin and supplement brands in the nation, is teaming up with decorated gymnast Mary Lou Retton on the “Dear Future Me” campaign, in an effort to help catapult attention for the importance of thinking about future health today. As a notable five-time medalist, Retton is reflecting on her personal health goals and experiences to inspire others to pay it forward when it comes to their own future health. “This campaign is designed to help you commit to healthy living today. I tried to team up with companies, brands and people that believe in healthy living like I do. I am so thankful for it,” she said.
She is a competitive athlete and mother of four daughters that encourage others to think about their mental, emotional, social and physical well-being and take realistic steps today towards achieving that healthy tomorrow. “My daughters keep me very busy. They are very athletic all four of them,” she said.
When asked how she balances her family life, she said, “It is extremely hard. That is something that as a grown adult, I’ve had to grow. I don’t have to win at everything. Life is really about balance, and I’m exactly where I want to be in life, and that’s being a mother of four kids. I am so blessed and so grateful.”
She shared her excitement for the 2016 Olympic Games at Rio. “I am glued to the television set,” she said.
Retton was the first American woman ever to win gold in gymnastics, and she scored a perfect 10 twice at the 1984 Olympics; moreover, she was the first female gymnast from outside of Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title. Sports Illustrated honored her as its “Sportswoman of the Year” in 1984. In 1985, she became the youngest inductee into the USOC Olympic Hall of Fame.
One of her proudest moments at the 1984 Olympics was when her coach, Bela Karolyi, lifted her up in his arms, and told her that she is “the Olympic champion,” reassuring her that it really happened. “This has given me a platform to go out as a fitness ambassador and talk about healthy living. That’s why I partnered up with Nature’s Bounty, and I really encourage people to go to their website and make a commitment to be healthy,” she said.
For aspiring athletes, her advice is as follows: “Find something you are passionate about. You can be in a gym and work out eight hours a day, but you’ve got to have it in your heart and your gut. Champions are made on those days that you don’t want to go, when you fall off that beam 20 times, but pick yourself back up and you get back on. That’s the difference between somebody who does sports, and somebody who wins at sports.”
She defined the word success as “Being happy with your performance, whether you win or lose. It doesn’t matter what color your medal is, as long as you’ve done your personal best, and you live your life with no regrets. That’s one of the big pieces of advice that I give my daughters. Success means living your life with no regrets, don’t be afraid to fail and go do it.”
To learn more about Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton, check out her official website.
