Ronda Rousey, First UFC Champion, Joins Fellow Female Athlete Powerhouses as the Newest Member of the Mizuno Roster.
The baddest woman on the planet, Ronda Rousey, adds to an already strong roster of influential female athletes including, April Ross and Jennie Finch, representing Mizuno with powerful, inspiring messages of courage, determination, and grit. Ronda has helped shape a path for female athletes by putting action to words, making this announcement – on National Girls & Women in Sports Day – even more meaningful.
“Ronda is one of the biggest female athletes of all-time – constantly pushing the envelope and motivating young athletes to strive beyond what they thought was possible. Ronda bestows a work ethic, passion, and charisma for sport that is so perfectly in tune with the mission and values of Mizuno at our core,” said Tomohiro Ota, Chief Marketing Officer at Mizuno USA.
A long-time fan of Mizuno dating back to her youth, Ronda began wearing Mizuno gear during her years of competitive judo training. Today, Rousey fans can see the recognizable Mizuno RunBird on her gear inside and outside the wrestling ring.
”Mizuno is a brand that I have loved since I was 11-years old. Over the years, I’ve tried other brands and continually am drawn back by the quality, attention to detail and focus on performance delivered in Mizuno gear. It is beyond any of the other sports brands out there,” comments Rousey.
Known for the intensity of her training regime, the partnership will embody Ronda’s energetic spirit, desire for constant improvement and personal growth that will push Mizuno Training to the next level. She will play an integral role in the development of training related gear and be a lead voice representing Mizuno in advertising, communications and publicity activities.
“Mizuno is one of the brands that flies under the radar. It comes across as a brand for elite athletes only – but Mizuno has so much to offer to athletes in all points of their athletic journey. I feel honored to have the opportunity to play an influential role in the next phase of Mizuno and introduce fellow athletes to what Mizuno has to offer,” said Rousey.
Taking the sports world by storm nearly 20 years ago, Ronda has been vital in the recent landscape shift of women’s sports.
“Ronda is the epitome of female empowerment and is a leading, authentic voice driving change and opportunity for female athletes. In the US market, we are at a precipice to put ourselves out front and be a part of the female athletes’ journey. The perspective Ronda can bring to us as a competitive, high-performance female athlete is instrumental,” said Harper Cornell, Brand Marketing Lead at Mizuno USA. “It is the right moment and right partner to help us share the deeply rooted expertise of Mizuno dating back more than a century ago.”
Mizuno USA entered the training category in June 2019 with the introduction of MIZUNO COB (Center of Balance) Technology featured in the TC Series training shoes – TC-01 and TC-02 – selected as a top training shoe by Men’s Health in 2019. Inclusive of footwear and apparel offering, the new Mizuno Training line offers a variety of options for athletes with new line introductions releasing April 2020.
Be sure to follow @MizunoNorthAmerica to hear the latest Mizuno news, training gear updates, athlete and partnership highlights.
Published: February 2020