GYMNAST RECALLS TAKING A STAND

ST. LOUIS -- Gymnast Mary Lou Retton didn't have any problems raising the American flag when she won the gold in the 1984 Olympics.

But she had a hard time taking a stand for her faith.

"It was tough, and I was very reluctant to raise my flag for Jesus Christ," said Retton, 31, the first American gymnast to win a gold medal.

She shared her testimony with the audience during the first night of the Greater St. Louis Billy Graham Crusade at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis.

Retton said that until four years ago she never really spoke publicly about her faith. But she said once she realized how much God had given up to send his son to the cross, she began sharing more.

Once she became a mother, "It was at that moment that I realized that to be a role model for my daughter I had to stand for something," she said.