After Gambling on Herself Against the World, Ronda Rousey Made a Tough Call to Her Mother to Get Back With Her

Ronda Rousey was a hot-headed athlete during her Judo days. The temperament didn’t change much later, but she did learn a lot about herself while she went through her initial days as a competitor in Judo. While her mother had an enormous influence on her personality since her formative years, ‘Rowdy’ was once not so happy with her mother’s plans for her and chose to run away to New York. She used her father’s social security and moved away. She went around training and competing in different championships. There came a point, however, when she wanted to move back to her home and made a call to her mother asking if she could come back.

Ronda Rousey had been a tough young lady all this while. She had seen herself with a boyfriend who was not good for her development as an athlete and had met coaches who didn’t care about her. At one point, she was left so frustrated with the US Judo Organization that she moved to Canada and trained in their facility without any coach helping her, as she was an American. All this brought her to a place where she contemplated going back to her home.

Ronda Rousey decides to return home

In 2006, ‘The Arm Collector’ won the Junior World championships and the Miami Open. The wins gave her a new confidence and while sitting in her hotel room after the win, she made a call to her mother back home. In her memoir, My Fight/ Your Fight, Ronda Rousey remembered the time when she decided to go back home.

She wrote, “It’s time, I thought. I felt like I had done enough. I wasn’t going to be going home with my tail between my legs. I was proud of what I had accomplished on my own.” I placed an international call home. “Hello?” my mom answered. I paused for a second, trying to calculate the time difference. “I won the Swedish Open,” I told her. “That’s great,” she said. She sounded genuinely happy for me.“I want to come home again,” I said.”

Read More: USA Judoka Ronda Rousey Narrated How Training at ‘Rival National Team’ With No Coaching Pushed Her to Another Level

While Ronda Rousey had expected some harsh words from her mother after running away from home. She was surprised by what her mom had to say to her.

Rousey comes back home

While ‘Rowdy’ thought her mother would be angry with her, it turned out the other way. Her mother welcomed her home. Talking about her homecoming, Ronda Rousey wrote how she felt once she got back home and was welcomed by her mother at the airport. Describing the meeting and her mother’s reaction, Rousey wrote, “Hey, kiddo, how was your flight?” she asked as I slid into the passenger seat. “Good. Long, but good,” I said. As we pulled out of the terminal, it felt different this time around. I was tired of the fighting and the anger and the hurt, and I missed her.”

At this point in her career, she was taking a brave decision and her experiences away from home taught her the value of family and home. Do you think Ronda Rousey did the right thing coming back home? Let us know.

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