Last Thursday I got a call from Mary Lou Retton.I say that as if it's something that happens every day but let me assure you it was a very big deal and I had to hold back the squeals of excitement as if I was a teenager again, watching the 1984 Olympics.
I've interviewed a couple other famous people but this was a little different because it came out of the blue and I was told I could ask anything. It didn't have to be related to a particular product and it was just me and Mary Lou on the phone which made things feel kind of special.
So I took your questions to heart and asked her about her children (she has four daughters) and whether they're gymnasts too. I asked her if she still gets fan mail, I asked about her life with the media and how she feels about the Olympics and athletes today.
I asked her about 12 minutes worth of questions though I didn't ask her my brother's questions. Among other things he wanted to know, "So what's your carbon footprint like? What size do you wear? Like, a size four or something?"
You see our family has a history with gymnastics because I believe it was during Mary Lou's famous gold-medal vault when my youngest sister decided that she too had Olympic potential and did a dismount off the arm of the couch which broke her collar bone (though I didn't think that bringing that little incident up during the interview would be very smooth).
Ms. Retton was pleasant and friendly and much better under the pressure of the microphone than I was and you can hear our interview below. Did you know she's the most popular sports figure in America? Still? Amazing, huh? But after hearing our conversation you'll understand why.
If you'd like to hear Amy Clark's (of MomAdvice.com) interview where she asks Mary Lou about taming the after school chaos she'll be posting her own interview with Ms. Retton on Thursday.
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Technorati tags: Olympics, sports, gymnastics
20 comments:
So I guess you'll be posting more about her answers to your questions in another post?
I came across your interview on Vimeo.com and really enjoyed hearing Mary Lou Retton's cute little voice :) Thanks for sharing this, Michelle!
Maybe I'm blind, but I'm not seeing the link to your interview in your post. I'm guessing either I'm an idiot or you had a technical glitch.
I thought the same thing (to Jill in MA)! Can't wait to hear the interview, though!
Oh, she called me to get your number. I hope you do not mind....hee hee.
I look forward to hearing more!
Sorry folks--glitch in the Matrix or something. I woke up to find the code hadn't gone through. So I reinserted the interview and it's working now. Grrrrr!
When I was younger, I was President of the Mary Lou Retton Fan Club. Well, not the official one. It was me and my 2 cousins. :)
Thanks for that interesting interview. You've got to love Mary Lou!
What a fun interview! That is so cool that you got to talk to her.
That was a really nice interview - I didn't realize you were recording it - I thought we were just going to get a written account, so that was a fun bonus!
She sounds like a confident, very well put together woman.
Love it! You did a great job interviewing her; I'd have been a nervous wreck and you sounded so poised.
I'm so glad celebs are realizing the "bigness" of blogs and other social media...
Have you heard of Diane Ellingson? She's my aunt and about all I know about gymnastics . . .
Great interview. You are really good at this, I hope you get to do more of them.
Wow, this makes me feel young. :(
I was born the spring after those olympics (in '85).
"I got a call from Mary Lou..."
Girl. You ARE the Queen!
(great interview, btw! Very fun to hear your voice!)
I'm so jealous you got to talk to Mary Lou Retton!
And I love what she said about exercising in the morning. So very true!
Wow. Simply wow! HOw lucky are you! great interview. Thank you for sharing!
completely random i know... but wondering if anyone else knows what i'm talking about? i have a reoccuring dream that has a song in it, and i do have to wonder if it was real from the 80s childhood i lived or if i really just dream about mary lou for no reason.
it seems to be some public service ad song that sings "mary louuu mary louuu she doesn't like smoking, she likes bowling!"
i'm pregnant again, and it could just be those wacky dreams you get... but man i would love to know if this was some random memory i'm draggin up!
"Mary Lou loves to bowl, but she doesn't like smoking!" I have this jingle in my head and I vividly remember seeing the PSA on tv in the eighties. I am glad to hear someone else remembers it (lazzab).
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