Mizuno, the global specialty sporting goods company has signed Ronda Rousey, the baddest woman on the planet, as the newest addition to the Mizuno roster of athletes in North America. Rousey joins a roster of influential female athletes including, April Ross and Jennie Finch, representing Mizuno with powerful, inspiring messages of courage, determination and grit.
“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. She bestows a work ethic, passion and charisma for sport that is so perfectly in tune to the mission and values of Mizuno at our core,” said Tomohiro Ota, Chief Marketing Officer at Mizuno USA. “Ronda represents the advantage for Mizuno, in the Training category and beyond. We are proud to have her join us as part of the Mizuno family.”
Rousey has helped shape a path for women opening doors for female athletes by putting action to words. Taking the sports world by storm, Rousey has been vital in the recent landscape shift of women’s sports making this announcement – on National Girls & Women in Sports Day – even more meaningful.
A long-time fan of Mizuno dating back to her youth, Rousey 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,” commented Rousey. “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.”
Known for the intensity of her training regime, Rousey’s partnership with Mizuno will embody her energetic spirit, desire for constant improvement and personal growth that will push Mizuno Training to the next level. Rousey 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.
“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 officially 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, the TC Series uses MIZUNO COB activation pods within the midsole to help improve balance and pursue improved performance for athletes.
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