Marie Roethlisberger | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1966-05-12)May 12, 1966 (age 59) |
| Known for | Former gymnast |
Marie Roethlisberger (born May 12, 1966), is a formergymnast who was a 1984 United States Olympic gymnastics alternate. She is almost completelydeaf.[1] She is the daughter of United States 1968 Olympic GymnastFred Roethlisberger and the sister of 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic gymnastJohn Roethlisberger.[2] She was selected as a 1991 NCAATop VI Award (now Top VIII) winner as one of the six top NCAA student-athletes and the 1991 femaleWalter Byers Scholarship winner as theNational Collegiate Athletic Association's top scholar-athlete.[3][4]
Roethlisberger competed nationally and internationally from 1982 until 1986. In national and international competition she placed as high as third in five consecutive appearances at theall-around at the United States National Gymnastics Championships, as fifth place in the team competition at the 1986Goodwill Games, and sixth place in the team competition (seventeenth in all-around) at the 1985 World Gymnastic Championships.[2] She then matriculated at theUniversity of Minnesota. In 1984, Roethlisberger placed seventh at the U.S. Olympic trials making her the alternate on the six-woman team despite being 100% deaf in one ear and approximately 85% deaf in the other. Her floor routines were choreographed to music with heavybass so that she could feel the reverberations.[5][6] Her hearing loss was attributable to a childhood bout ofmeningitis.[2] In 1988, Roethlisberger was awarded theHonda Inspiration Award which is given to a collegiate athlete "who has overcome hardship and was able to return to play at the collegiate level". She overcame hearing issues to become a highly decorated gymnast.[7][8][9]
She was the 1990NCAA gymnastics champion onuneven bars; four-time All-American; seven-timeBig Ten Conference champion.[10] She was also an Academic All-American.[11] She was the 1982 and 1986AAU uneven bars champion.[12] She was part of the 1991 Top VI class withSuzy Favor,Ed McCaffrey,Meredith Rainey,Pat Tyrance and fellow gymnastPatrick Kirksey.
After obtaining herBS degree in 1991, she went on to obtain herMD in 1996 both from theUniversity of Minnesota. As of 2008, she is aphysician inMadison, Wisconsin.[10] She completed her medical residency infamily medicine inAppleton, Wisconsin.[2]