AnnMaria De Mars facts for kids
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| Birth name | AnnMaria Waddell | |||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Animal | |||||||||||||
| Born | August 15, 1958 Scott Air Force Base, St. Clair County, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Died | Not recognized as a date. Years must have 4 digits (use leading zeros for years < 1000). (aged Error: Need valid year, month, day) | |||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Washington University in St. Louis (B.S.) University of Minnesota (M.B.A.) University of California, Riverside (Ph.D.) |
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| Occupation | CEO of 7 Generation Games CEO of The Julia Group |
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| Weight | 56 kg | |||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Judo | |||||||||||||
| Rank | 7th dan black belt | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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AnnMaria De Mars (born August 15, 1958) is an American expert in technology, an author, and a judoka. She made history by becoming the first American to win a gold medal at the World Judo Championships. She won this medal in the -56 kg weight class at the 1984 World Judo Tournament.
De Mars is the chief executive officer (CEO) of two companies: 7 Generation Games and The Julia Group. She also works as a consultant who uses statistics to help others. She has written many important proposals for programs that help Native American communities. Before starting 7 Generation Games, De Mars was a Vice President at Spirit Lake Consulting Inc. This company helps the Spirit Lake Tribe on their Indian Reservation. She was very involved in their education and job training programs.
In 2013, Forbes magazine included De Mars in their list of "40 Women to Watch Over 40." This list celebrates women over 40 who are making big contributions in new and exciting fields. In 2016, she was honored by being added to the International Sports Hall of Fame.
Contents
AnnMaria's Early Life
AnnMaria De Mars grew up in a small town called Alton, Illinois.
Her Judo Journey
Starting Judo and College Years (1970–1995)
AnnMaria De Mars started learning judo when she was 12 years old at a local YMCA.
At 16, she won her first big competition, the USJA Junior Nationals. That same year, she started college at Washington University in St. Louis, studying business. When she was 18, she studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan, at Waseda University. There, she trained with a famous judo teacher named Sensei Osawa.
She finished college with a business degree in 1978. She also won several national judo titles, including the US Senior Nationals, US Collegiate Nationals, and the US Open. Since there were no women's judo world championships at that time, she stopped competing for a while. She then went to the University of Minnesota to get her MBA degree.
De Mars earned her MBA in 1980. She missed the first women's world championships because she was in grad school. But in 1981, she won a bronze medal at the British Open and the Tournoi d'Orleans. In 1982, she was ranked #1 in the USJI rankings and won the US Open. However, she did not compete in the second women's world championships because her daughter María was born.
De Mars continued her education, earning an MA and a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. This knowledge helped her later when teaching her daughter Ronda how to prepare mentally for fights.
In 1983, De Mars had more success, winning at the Pan American Games and the US Senior Nationals. In 1984, she won the Austrian Open, the Canada Cup, and the US Senior Nationals again. She came out of retirement to win the 1984 World Judo Championships. This made her the first person from the United States to win a World Judo Championships. At that time, her name was Ann-Maria Burns.
Life After Competitive Judo (1995–Present)
In 1995, AnnMaria De Mars's husband, Ronald Rousey, had a serious sledding accident. This led to a difficult health situation for him. Because of this, De Mars moved her family back to Southern California, settling in Santa Monica. She taught her children at home there.
After moving, De Mars remarried. She also helped coach her daughter, Ronda Rousey, who went on to win a gold medal at the 2004 World Junior Judo Championships and a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. Ronda Rousey later became a professional mixed martial artist and a former champion in the UFC.
De Mars often coaches and practices judo at a gym in Los Angeles. She remembers a time when Ronda broke her wrist during practice. AnnMaria had told kids not to put their hands out when falling, but she did it herself and Ronda caught her.
In 2013, De Mars and Jimmy Pedro Sr. wrote an instructional book about judo called Winning on the Ground.
Her way of thinking about judo focuses on attacking first and being offensive.
Teaching and Technology Work
De Mars started working for the Spirit Lake Reservation in 1990. She wrote the first federal grant to help tribes track young children with special education needs. She also created and taught the first online course offered by a tribal college. While there, De Mars helped evaluate many programs, including those for talent search, job training, health careers, and family literacy.
Her company, 7 Generation Games, grew from her love of statistics and helping communities.
In 2008, De Mars started working as a statistical consultant for the University of Southern California. She has over 27 years of experience working with data analysis software called SAS. She has shared her knowledge through many online articles and blogs. She supports different university campuses and offices.
Personal Life
AnnMaria De Mars is the mother of Ronda Rousey. Ronda is an Olympic bronze medalist in judo and a former world champion in the UFC. AnnMaria is also the mother of María Burns Ortiz, who is a sports journalist. María writes for ESPN.com and contributes to Fox News Latino.
De Mars is a member of the Catholic faith.
See also
In Spanish: AnnMaria De Mars para niños
