AnnMaria De Mars

Who is AnnMaria De Mars?

AnnMaria De Mars, formerly known as Ann-Maria Burns is an American judoka. She was the first American to win at the World Judo Championships, winning the 1984 tournament in the -56 kg class. She is the mother of Ronda Rousey, an Olympic bronze medalist judoka and mixed martial arts Bantamweight world champion; and of María Burns Ortiz, a sports journalist who serves as the social media columnist for ESPN.com and as a contributor to Fox News Latino.

De Mars was born on the 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.