When Ronda Rousey Walked and Talked for Kids With Apraxia

Ronda Rousey has been fighting her entire life, but her earliest battles weren’t in the judo gi, they were in her own head. For those who don’t already know, it’s hard to believe she’s suffered from apraxia of speech all this time.

For many years, Ronda had to go to a speech therapist. Her mom called it talking class and made it seem like all kids went to talking class. Although, not everyone’s teacher was a vampire. Her teacher wasn’t concerned with her spooky secret getting out though, she was more concerned with how Ronda pronounced the ‘V’ when she tattled to mom.

Ronda told her mom lot’s of things, but most of the time she couldn’t get her point across. Like the time she wanted a Hulk Hogan wrestling buddy doll more than anything in the world. 

“I remember the ‘Balgrin,’ which is the word she told WWE she had to use instead of Hogan’s name. “I remember even going into toy stores and seeing the toy, and not being able to tell anyone that that’s the one that I wanted. And then we would have to go to another toy store and another toy store and it was very, very frustrating. But when I finally got him, it’s hard to forget being that happy.”

So, when Rousey found out about The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America’s walk for kids who were dealing with the disorder, she headed out to Santa Monica to show her support with Chunk and her Hulk Hogan buddy in tow.

“I learned that Apraxia became an advantageous disadvantage when I was a kid because I learned to express myself more physically to try and communicate,” she said at the event. “That’s what drew me to athletics from the very beginning. To get anything out, you feel trapped in your own head. You can’t really communicate because you’re in your own head separate from everyone else. Physically was a way I could bridge that gap.”

After telling her story, Ronda gave out medals to all of the kids in Clover Park and they all walked together to spread awareness and raise money for apraxia. Hopefully, the spirit of events like this can encourage — not only kids to never give up — but their parents as well.   

“I’m very glad that my mom never gave up and everytime someone suggested I go to simple ed. or that I needed a hearing aid, she always went the extra mile to understand me. And for a kid struggling to be understood, that meant the world, so thank you, mom.”