Judy Rhodes lives her life serving as "The Voice of Women in the Outdoors"
The daughter of East Texas ranching parents, Judy learned about the outdoors simply by living it. Hunting and exploring the outdoors since she was 4 years old, Judy was considered a "TOMBOY" while most young girls spent time inside the home. After leaving home, Judy studied and became in interior and exterior designer. Which fulfilled her creativity, but her passion for the outdoors was still strong. Judy never met a challenge in the outdoors she could not conquer. her mentoring began at an early age, leading the pack of her siblings by introducing her two younger brothers to the adventures and conservation of outdoors in black gumbo soil and red dirt of East Texas.
Judy married Sam Rhodes, now deceased, and raised two sons hunting and fishing as a family. Sam was an avid outdoorsman, and the two shared a long and wonderfully active outdoor lifestyle. They shared many hunts across the world and here at home in Texas. In January of 1997, Judy had an "AHA" moment after tirelessly volunteering to raise millions of dollars for conservation and social organizations. She realized the outdoors had lost two generations of participants. Judy decided to make a difference in the outdoors and wanted everyone to have opportunities to experience the outdoors as she had with her siblings growing up in a rural environment. In 1998, Judy's vision to introduce women and youth to the world of the outdoors became a reality. What began as Texas Women's' Shooting, soon took on a global perspective, when DIVAWOW, DIVA Women Outdoors Worldwide was created in 2002. Judy loved to say, Sam's role was very simple in DIVA WOW: I am the Founder; Sam is the Funder.
Judy soon became known and globally recognized as the "Voice of Women in the Outdoors" and an outdoor influencer with her annual appearances at the annual Shot Show in Las Vegas. Her knowledge of outdoor adventures is valued by industry and outdoors(wo)men worldwide. If Judy is not mentoring women and youth on the range or in the field, she is hunting and/or fishing globally in the great outdoors. Shooting and competing is second nature to this country girl!
Today, Judy walks the talk and leads the organization in competing in various disciplines of shooting. She's won the HOA for Hollywood Celebrity Shoot in Los Angles, CA, took First Place in Sporting Clays at Barbara & Irlene Mandrell Family Charity Shoot in Seven Springs PA, and First Place in Pistol for NRA Women's Charity Shoot in Houston, TX. She earned First Place in the Ladies Sporting Clays for St. Jude Charity Shoot in Memphis, TN, and numerous other shoots across the country. In 2020, the final year of NRA Women on Target Postals, Judy won First Place in the handgun competition. She is a Five-Time/Winchester Qualifications Distinguished Expert, TV Personality, Writer, Storyteller, and Outdoor influencer.
Judy is an active member of the Dallas Gun Club, a life member of NRA (Certified Instructor), TSRA, Dallas Safari Club, Safari Club International, NWTF, and North American Elk Foundation. Judy is also a member of Trout Unlimited, Whitetails Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, Texas Trophy Hunters, Dallas Opera, Texas Kidney, Park Cities Baptist Church and numerous genealogy societies in America and Scotland.
