AnnMaria DeMars

AnnMaria De Mars, was born AnnMaria Burns on August 15, 1958 at Scott Air Field Base in Alton, Illinois. De Mars is a Rokudan (6th Degree Blackbelt), and was the first American to win a Gold medal at the 1984 World Judo Championships in Vienna. She is the mother to four daughters - sports journalist Maria Burns Ortiz, Jennifer Rousey, Olympic Bronze Medalist and UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, and Julia DeMars. De Mars is of Venezuelan descent. As a child, AnnMaria admits to being a short, fat, little kid that wore thick glasses, spent all her time sitting in her room, eating, and reading books. Her three brothers gave her the nickname "Stumpy" because she was built like a tree stump. AnnMaria's mother demanded she do some type of physical activity, so at the age of 12, she began training in Judo at the local YMCA. De Mars won her first judo competition, the USJA Nationals, at the age of 16. That same year she attended Washington University in St. Louis as a Business Major. At age 18 she enrolled in the university foreign exchange program, which enabled her to attend Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. While there, she studied Judo under Sensei Osawa, one of the most respected Judo instructors in the world. In 1978 she graduated with a degree in business, won the U.S. Judo Senior and Collegiate Nationals, as well as the U.S. Open. De Mars then earned an MBA in 1980 from the University of Minnesota. Returning to Judo in 1981, she took the Bronze in the Tornoi d'Orleans and British Open Tournaments. In 1982 she was ranked #1 in the USJI rankings and won the US Open. She then took a year off to give birth to daughter Maria. During this time she finished her academic studies, graduating with a MA and PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. Throughout 1983 and 1984 De Mars competed in various Judo tournaments - the Pan American Games, the US Open, the Austrian Open, Canada Cup, and the US Senior Nationals. Coming out of retirement, she won the 1984 World Judo Championships. De Mars then retired from Judo competition to raise her family and pursue a career in education and business. In 2013 Forbes listed De Mars on its annual "40 Women to Watch Over 40". She is CEO of 7 Generation Games and The Julia Group. She is also an author, blogger, statistical consultant, Native American activist, and Judo coach.