Name: Ronda Rousey
Weight: 70kg

Date of Birth: Feb. 1, 1987
Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif.
Current Residence: Wakefield, Mass.
Club: NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE
Coach: Jimmy Pedro
Education: College freshman
Advice she would give to young athletes: Don't grow up too fast, make the most of your childhood.
Item she would bring on Survivor: Jar of Nutella and peanut butter
Favorite food: buffalo chicken pizza, chocolate chip cookie sundae
Honors:

• Texaco Rising Star Award, 2004 Titan Games

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Olympic Teams: 2008 (Bronze), 2004

World Championship Teams: 2007 (Silver), 2005

Pan American Games Teams: 2007 (Gold)

Pan American Championship Teams: 2007 (Bronze), 2006 (Silver), 2005 (Gold), 2004 (Gold)

Junior Pan American Championships Teams: 2006, 2004 (Both Gold)

Junior World Championship Teams: 2006 (Bronze), 2004 (Gold)

Personal: The first woman to win a medal at the World Championships since 1995, 20-year-old Ronda was one of the youngest medalists at the 2007 Worlds – a feat she's become used to as one of the most promising young judo players in the world. 

At just 17, Ronda qualified for her first Olympic Team, becoming the youngest judo player in the entire Games.  The reigning Pan American and U.S. judo champion in the 63kg division, Ronda expected that she would compete in the Olympics, but never considered that it would be in Athens – she even named her cat Beijing after the 2008 host city.

After claiming the top finish for the U.S. women at the Olympic Games (ninth), Ronda became only the second U.S. athlete ever to win a gold medal at the 2004 World Junior Judo Championships in Budapest, Hungary

Although many members of the Team USA come from "judo families," Ronda's is one of the most pedigreed as mother AnnMaria, was the first-ever American to win the World Judo Championships in 1984. Originally a competitive swimmer, Ronda grew tired of the sport and at age 11 persuaded her mother to let her to do judo. AnnMaria was hesitant in allowing Ronda to try judo, worried that expectations would be high, but acquiesced. From the beginning Ronda exceeded all expectations and has risen through the ranks in an unprecedented fashion.

In April 2006, Ronda made history again, becoming the first U.S. female athlete in nearly 10 years to win an A-Level event as she went 5-0 to claim gold at the Birmingham World Cup in Great Britain.  Later that year, the 19-year-old won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, becoming the first U.S. athlete ever to win two Junior World medals.

In February 2007, Ronda moved up to 70kg where she is currently ranked as one of the top three women in the world. 

Recent Career Highlights:

2008:

• Gold – U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo
• Gold – USA Judo Senior National Championships
• Gold – Budapest World Cup
• Bronze – Olympic Games
• Bronze – Belgian Ladies' Open
• Fifth – Pan American Championships
• Ninth – Paris Super World Cup

2007:

• Gold – British Open (63kg)
• Gold – Vienna World Cup
• Gold – Pan American Games
• Gold – USA Judo Senior National Championships
• Gold – U.S. Open
• Gold – Rendez-Vous Canada
• Silver – World Championships
• Bronze – Pan American Championships

• Bronze – German Open

2006:

• Gold – Swedish Open (63kg)
• Gold – U.S. Open (63kg)
• Gold – Rendez-Vous Canada (63kg)
• Gold – USA Judo Senior National Championships (63kg)

• Gold – Birmingham World Cup (63kg)
• Gold – Belgian Ladies Open (63kg)
• Gold – Junior Pan American Championships (63kg)
• Silver – Pan American Championships (63kg)
• Bronze – Junior World Championships (63kg)
• Bronze – Finnish Open (63kg)

2005:

• Gold – U.S. Open (63kg)
• Gold – Rendez Vous Canada (63kg)
• Gold – USA Judo Senior National Championships (63kg)
• Gold – Pan American Championships (63kg)
• Fifth Place – Leonding World Cup (63kg)
• Ninth – Hamburg Super World Cup (63kg)

2004:

• Gold – Ontario Open (63kg)
• Gold – Junior World Championships (63kg)
• Gold – Pan American Championships (63kg)
• Gold – Junior Pan American Championships (63kg)
• Gold – USA Judo Senior National Championships (63kg)
• Gold – Titan Games (63kg)
• Bronze – U.S. Open (63kg)
• Bronze – Rendez Vous Canada (63kg)
• Ninth – Olympic Games (63kg)

2003:

• Gold – Fall Classic National Championships (63kg)
• Gold – Rendez Vous Canada (63kg)
• Silver – U.S. Open (63kg)
• Fifth – Korean Open (63kg)