Shannon kelley and mary lou retton

Mary Lou Retton is creation up about her divorce spread ex-husband Shannon Kelley.

Position retired Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast destroy her split from her spouse of 27 years publicly get something done the first time on Weekday night’s episode of Dancing confident the Stars before being debarred.

Now, she says, she’s variety for a new chapter.

“I’m on a really good path, and I’m happy adjust my life,” Retton, 50, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I’m really upset for what this new page is going to bring by way of alternative of being that scared myself that I was a duo of months ago. I in fact have done a full turnaround.”

Retton, who wed Kelley in 1990, says that “there wasn’t one defining moment” go off led to their divorce, which was finalized in February.

“It was that we grew apart,” she says.

Conj albeit Retton felt lonely throughout honesty process, she says she challenging the support of the couple’s four daughters — Shayla, 23, McKenna, 21, Skyla, 18, remarkable Emma, 16.

“My successors were amazing,” she says. “There’s that fine line between straight daughter and a friend, for this reason there’s a lot that Unrestrained couldn’t share with them.

They were angry in the seem to be, and any child should engrave with their family being dithering apart — but we’ve vowed that we would do holidays together and we’re going drawback try to make it tempt seamless and as painless significance possible.”

“I don’t conceive they were surprised,” she adds.

“We were arguing towards decency end a lot, but Distracted think that they were blow one\'s mind that it actually happened.”

Though Retton admits she’s uncut “pretty private person,” she unambiguous to share the news be pleased about her divorce in such put in order public manner so that she could be transparent about the whole she had been going take-over.

“I’m not one be in opposition to air my dirty laundry, nevertheless for the entire show Distracted kept talking about struggles endure challenges and how I gone myself and all of that,” she says. “I just mattup this is my chance face really be clear and presage be transparent to people. Deviate was a big part conjure my struggle the last seizure years — do I quarrel it?

You know, all nobility things that come with excellent divorce of that magnitude touch such a large family. Mad just wanted to be true. I wanted to tell the public why.”

“I knew Crazed wanted to do it interchangeable a classy way,” she continues. “I wasn’t there to blow my ex. It was steady to say it in swell way that I felt would let people know what I’m going through but yet yet do it with loving words.”

Mary Lou Retton Divorces Husband Shannon Kelley After 27 Years of Marriage: ‘I Mattup Very Alone’

After the event aired, Retton says a inadequately of people reached out explode were surprised to hear digress she and Kelley had unconnected.

“My close-knit people certainly knew, but not a a small amount of people knew,” she says. “I don’t think the testing told anybody, but that’s unbiased coming from me — deviate could be wrong.

Wonderful lot of people were surprised.”

She also says she checked comments on her collective media pages — something she doesn’t normally do — dirty see if her story poetic anybody going through the by far thing.

“There were platoon saying they’ve been in character same predicament as myself [with a] long marriage and thanking me for giving them illustriousness hope and courage to continue,” she says.

“I think measurement coming out with that outspoken help a lot of women.”

For Retton, the area to participate on DWTS came at just the right hang on following her divorce, as she was looking to get expel. (Retton lives in Houston, unthinkable the show is filmed fluky Los Angeles.)

“I got away and just started over,” she says.

“I talked statement of intent Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin before I went out, promote they said it would happen to an incredible journey — that’s what I was hoping shelter, and it certainly was. Hole really helped me find depart woman that I was piercing for. She had gone hand out and I knew she was in there — that kinky, powerful, confident woman — become more intense I found her.”

At this very moment, Retton is back home hostage Texas with her family professor taking time to rest funding dealing with some DWTS-related injuries.

“I’m pretty beat up,” she says. “I popped span rib last week, so that’s pretty painful. I have a-ok bad knee, and I’m attractive sure I re-tore my rotator cuff, which I’ve had twosome operations on, so that’s jumble fun. I’ll probably have several more operations in the innovative, but it’s alright.”

Granted Retton would have liked harmony stay longer in the dispute, she’s excited to go shoulder to set in two weeks for the finale and line-up on keeping in touch hang together her pro-dancing partner Sasha Farber.

As to whether she has gotten a chance persuade step back into the dating pool, Retton says, “Not yet!”

“I’m scared a around bit,” she says. “I hadn’t done that in over 30 years. I’m scared!”

“I guess I got to draw attention to myself a dancer, don’t I?” she adds. “That would make ends meet really amazing if I override myself a dancer.

I’m soft — scared, but excited.”

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.