Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey (Allposters.com (Jeff Bottari))

Ronda Rousey has become one of the most controversial celebrities as of early November 2015. After her shocking loss to Holly Holm in UFC 193, she became the laughingstock of the world. Everyone pointed out how she frequently claimed to be the best fighter in the world, and yet was so easily beaten. All it took was "the kick heard around the world" and her image was destroyed. However, to those who have always supported her, their opinions weren't so easily swept under the rug. Ronda Rousey's loyal supporters fought back viciously against the taunting of others, ensuring that she'll be back for her title belt, as she's always bounced back. It's Ronda Rousey's tenacity and passion for doing what she loves that inspires me. She's more than just a hero, she's my role model and idol, and the person whom I've looked up to the most. 

Ronda with her Olympic bronze medal (truemerchant.com ())

Anyone can become a star when life is handed to them on a silver platter. What makes a hero stand above others is the fact that they've encountered such harsh challenges and have still fought through them. Ronda Rousey's challenges started at birth. She was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her throat, blue and lifeless.  As with all babies, she was given a score on the Apgar scale. The ratings go one through five, five being a healthy child. Ronda's score was a zero. It was a miracle that the doctors were even able to revive her; they had given her a very slim chance at survival and warned her mother that she might start to show signs of brain damage. At two years old, when Ronda still wasn't talking, her parents began to feel worried. As it turned out, the part of her brain that controlled her speech had died when she was a baby, leaving her unable to form coherent words and sentences. It was four years later, when she was six years old, before her brain rewired itself and gave her the ability to speak normally. The number of obstacles she's had to face since then, both mentally and physically, have been overwhelming astounding. Another example of the hardship she's faced was when she was eight years old and her father took his own life. He had snapped his spine in a sledding accident and was partially paralyzed. While he was being treated at the hospital, the doctors discovered that he had a rare blood disorder that left his body unable to form blood clots. Facing the prospect of only a few more years of life in agonizing pain and without the use of his limbs, Ronda's father saw suicide as his only way out and took his life. This left her shaken to the core, as she had been incredibly close to her dad. However, she found a silver lining to that pitch-black cloud. Two years later, her mother met Ronda's step-father, and, after they got married, her family moved to California. In California, she was introduced to judo, which quickly became a major part of her life. However, even in doing something she loved, Ronda encountered daunting challenges. One of the worst things that could have happened to her came when she was sixteen: while sparring in judo, her partner did a poorly-executed throw and Ronda tore her ACL. This injury caused her to miss a major judo tournament that could have paved the way for the Olympics. Though this could have ruined her career, Ronda Rousey pushed through this injury and made it to the Olympics twice. When she went in 2004 at seventeen years old, she was the youngest person ever to compete in the Olympics for judo. In 2008, she came home from the Olympics with a bronze medal. Many would crack under obstacles such of these, but to Ronda Rousey, that is all that they were: obstacles that were an unexpected snag left only to be worked around.

It's easy for people to say that they'll always fight for what they believe in, but it's harder to hold up that promise when they're constantly beaten down by those around them. This is particularly evident in fighting, and something I've noticed myself. Fighting is considered a male-dominant sport, and any version of martial arts is pulled into that category. Ronda Rousey started judo at eleven, when it wasn't popular for a girl to be fighting, and she was relentlessly made fun of for her cauliflower ears and her less-than-feminine body. Doing judo every night of the week gave Ronda broad shoulders, muscular biceps, and toned legs. While all of those are a huge bonus when it comes to judo, it did nothing to lessen the teasing. It bothered Ronda greatly that she couldn't fit the model that society places on girls to be unrealistically skinny and curvy.  Over time, however, she cared less and less about what others thought about her and became confident in her body. In fact, she frequently says that there isn't a single muscle on her body that isn't there for a purpose. After she conquered the obstacle of being comfortable in her own body, she had to get past the prejudice of others. The next challenge she encountered was when she first met her current coach, Edmond Tarverdyan. When she went into his gym for the first time and asked if he would train her, she received an unwavering "No." He had always trained male boxers, and wasn't too thrilled at the idea of training a woman who worked mostly in ground fighting. For three to four months, Ronda would frequently go to Edmond's gym to train. Every day she went, she asked him to train her, and every time she asked, he told her no and to go work on the punching bags. Anyone who's watched Ronda Rousey fight knows that she's not one who takes no for an answer, and she certainly doesn't do anything less than one hundred percent. Each day she went to train at Edmond's gym, she unleashed an unrelenting fury of punches onto the punching bags, until one day, Edmond finally began to notice her. He was aware that Ronda had won a bronze medal in the Olympics for judo, but hadn't thought much of what this meant. After she kept coming in for several months, always working harder and harder than the rest of the athletes, Edmond realized that he had been wrong to reject her for so long. Ronda's relentlessness and belief in herself, even when others didn't, is what has made her the great fighter she is today. 

Ronda and her younger sister, Julia. (Instagram ())

I hold my family very close to my heart, and I have great respect for others who do as well. Our family members are the first ones we bond with, and the ones with whom we should always share the closest ties. Life is too short for trifles such as arguments and grudges. Ronda was undeniably close to her father, and after he died, she became even closer with the rest of her family. Her family moved around a lot, and there were even times when Ronda was living apart from her family with one of her coaches, so her mother was one of the few strong female figures in her life. Her mother got her started in judo and Ronda would often look up to her mother, comparing herself to her mom's standards. Her mom's intense training and personality have pushed Ronda to become an amazing fighter. She has often stated that her mother was the woman she looked up to the most when she was little. She was also, and still it, very close to her sisters growing up. While they fought and often injured each other, Ronda and her sister Jennifer were always very close. Her sisters often joke that they are the only ones to have ever beaten Ronda in a fight. Ronda is also very close and protective of her younger sister, Julia. The two of them attended a concert of Justin Bieber's and Julia was dying to meet him and have a picture taken with him. However, when Ronda and Julia reached him, he very rudely brushed them off, saying that he had already taken too many pictures. Julia was very upset about this and Ronda now has no problem voicing her opinion about Bieber. She said that she might change her feelings about him if he were to apologize to Julia. While Ronda Rousey has hit many rough patches with her family, they have always made up and know the importance of staying together and supporting each other. 

I know there will be people who will laugh at me for picking Ronda Rousey as my hero; I've heard her being made fun of by people I know. However, my feelings about her will not change anytime soon. She is an inspiration, and after reading her book, I know so much more about her and respect her even more. I do not feel the need to justify as to why I adore Ronda Rousey, but I hope I have changed some opinions about her with this tribute.