Ann Maria Rousey DeMars

Ann Maria Rousey DeMars was born August 15, 1958, at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. She grew up in the small community of Alton, Illinois and began her judo career at the age of 12 at a local YMCA.

Competitive judo career

DeMars won her division at the USJA Junior Nationals at the age of 16 – her first major competition. The same year, she entered college at Washington University as a business major. At the age of 18, as a college junior, Ann Maria was an exchange student at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. While there, she trained under Sensei Osawa.

She graduated from college with a degree in business in 1978. She also won the US Senior Nationals, US Collegiate Nationals and the US Open. In the absence of women's judo world championships, she quit competitive judo and studied for an MBA at the University of Minnesota.

DeMars earned her MBA in 1980. She missed the first women's world championships while in grad school, but in 1981 won bronze in the British Open and Tournoi d'Orleans. In 1982, she was ranked #1 in the USJI rankings and won the US Open. However, she did not contest the second women's world championships due to having a baby that year.

DeMars enjoyed more success in 1983, including the Pan American Games and US Senior Nationals, and in 1984, winning the Austrian Open, Canada Cup (now known as the "Rendezvous"), Senior Nationals and the World Championships.

Career after judo

Following her judo successes, DeMars married a second time and had more children. Her third child, Ronda Rousey has also been successful in judo.

DeMars pursued further study, including an MA and PhD in educational psychology from the University of California, Riverside. She also taught college for several years in North Dakota.

DeMars' husband died in 1995 due to complications relating to Bernard-Soulier syndrome following a sledding accident. She remarried in 1997 and moved to Southern California where she currently resides. She had a fourth child in 1998.

Circa 2001, DeMars co-founded Spirit Lake Consulting with Erich Longie April St. Pierre. The company strives to improve life on Indian reservations and in other disadvantaged communities. DeMars is currently vice president.

In 2006, DeMars was elected Vice President of the USJA, ahead of Peter Contardo. She remarked: "I think it is important for women to not only be in follower positions as supporters and students, but also in leadership positions."

References

ources

* [http://www.usjudo.org/U.S.OpenHistoricalResults.asp US Open Historical Results]
* [http://www.usja-judo.org/committees/USJA_BoD_List_1_06.pdf USJA Board of Directors and Officers as of January 20, 2006]

External links

* [http://drannmaria.blogspot.com/ DeMars blog]
* [http://www.venicejudoclub.com/photolog/justin-annmaria-trace.html Photo of DeMars on her dojo website]
* [http://thejudopodcast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=233602 Interview with Dr. Ann Maria DeMars and Ronda Rousey (podcast)] at thejudopodcast.com, 9 July 2007
* [http://www.spiritlakeconsulting.com Spirit Lake Consulting website]