Olympic gold medalist Retton to headline Judson's inspirational series this fall
Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton will be the speaker for Judson University's World Leaders Forum Inspirational Series on Oct. 10.
University President Gene Crume announced the news to a packed crowd during Monday's World Leaders Forum featuring Queen Noor of Jordan.
Retton, who won the all-around gold medal in gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, is the second inspirational speaker the Christian liberal arts university has brought to Elgin.
Serbian Australian evangelist Nick Vujicic gave a rousing speech at the inaugural inspirational series last October.
Retton, Crume said, "would be a very nice complement to that ... She has remained so involved and so engaged in helping people really everywhere. She has kind of captured several generations of people in the U.S. in terms of her background, her life and how she chooses to live it."
Retton went on to win five medals - the most wins for any athlete during the 1984 Olympics - and was named "Sportswoman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated that year. She became the first woman to appear on a Wheaties cereal box, and the first gymnast and youngest inductee into the USOC Olympic Hall of Fame.
She now is a motivational speaker, corporate spokeswoman and fitness ambassador. Retton also will be a TV commentator for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer.
Early bird tickets for the inspirational series are on sale for $40 for a limited time. For more information, visit JudsonU.edu/WLFInspiration.