Marie Roethlisberger
Encyclopedia
Marie Roethlisberger is a former gymnast
who was a 1984 United States Olympic gymnastics alternate. She happens to be almost completely deaf. She is the daughter of United States 1968 Olympic Gymnast Fred Roethlisberger and the sister of 1992 and 1996 Olympic gymnast John Roethlisberger
. She was selected as a 1991 NCAA Top VI Award (now Top VIII) winner as one of the six top NCAA student-athletes and the 1991 female Walter Byers Scholarship
winner as the National Collegiate Athletic Association
's top scholar-athlete.
, and sixth place in the team competition (seventeenth in all-around) at the 1985 World Gymnastic Championships. She then matriculated at the University 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 heavy bass so that she could feel the reverberations. Her hearing loss was attributable to a childhood bout of meningitis
.
She was the 1990 NCAA gymnastics champion
on uneven bars; four-time All-American; seven-time Big Ten Conference
champion. She was also an Academic All-American. She was the 1982 and 1986 AAU
uneven bars champion. She was part of the 1991 Top VI class with Suzy Favor, Ed McCaffrey
, Meredith Rainey, Pat Tyrance and fellow gymnast Patrick Kirksey.
After obtaining her BS
degree in 1991, she went on to obtain her MD
in 1996 both from the University of Minnesota
. She is currently a physician
in Madison, Wisconsin
. She completed her medical residency in family medicine
in Appleton, Wisconsin
.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
who was a 1984 United States Olympic gymnastics alternate. She happens to be almost completely deaf. She is the daughter of United States 1968 Olympic Gymnast Fred Roethlisberger and the sister of 1992 and 1996 Olympic gymnast John Roethlisberger
John Roethlisberger
John Roethlisberger is a retired American gymnast. He is a three-time Olympian representing the U.S. at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He is also a four-time U.S. Nationals all-around champion and four-time U.S...
. She was selected as a 1991 NCAA Top VI Award (now Top VIII) winner as one of the six top NCAA student-athletes and the 1991 female Walter Byers Scholarship
Walter Byers Scholarship
The Walter Byers Scholar program is a scholarship program that recognizes the top male and female scholar-athlete in NCAA sports and that is awarded annually by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . It is considered to be the NCAA's highest academic award...
winner as the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's top scholar-athlete.
Career
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 the all-around at the United States National Gymnastics Championships, as fifth place in the team competition at the 1986 Goodwill GamesGoodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
, and sixth place in the team competition (seventeenth in all-around) at the 1985 World Gymnastic Championships. She then matriculated at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. 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 heavy bass so that she could feel the reverberations. Her hearing loss was attributable to a childhood bout of meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
.
She was the 1990 NCAA gymnastics champion
NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship
The NCAA introduced Women's Gymnastics as a championship sport in 1982. Since then, only four universities have claimed the overall Division I championship; Division II competition was discontinued in 1987. During the early years of competition, the University of Utah under the leadership of head...
on uneven bars; four-time All-American; seven-time Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
champion. She was also an Academic All-American. She was the 1982 and 1986 AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
uneven bars champion. She was part of the 1991 Top VI class with Suzy Favor, Ed McCaffrey
Ed McCaffrey
Edward Thomas McCaffrey is a former American football wide receiver who played for the New York Giants , San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
, Meredith Rainey, Pat Tyrance and fellow gymnast Patrick Kirksey.
After obtaining her BS
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in 1991, she went on to obtain her MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1996 both from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. She is currently a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. She completed her medical residency in family medicine
Family medicine
Family medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, sexes, diseases, and parts of the body...
in Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
.