Cathy Rigby

Infobox Person
name = Cathleen Roxanne Rigby


caption =
birth_date = December 12, 1952
birth_place = Los Alamitos, California, USA
death_date =
death_place =
other_names = Cathy Rigby-McCoy
known_for = gymnastics, acting
occupation = actress
nationality = United States

Cathleen Roxanne Rigby (born December 12, 1952), best known as Cathy Rigby, is a gymnast, actress and speaker.

Biography

Early life

Rigby was born in Los Alamitos, California in 1952.She has an older brother, Steve Rigby; older sister, Michelle; younger brother Jeff, and a younger sister Jill. She is the daughter of Anita and Paul Rigby.

Gymnast career

Rigby's participation in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, as the highest-scoring U.S. gymnast made her a favorite with U.S. television audiences, and helped to popularize the sport in the U.S. She was U.S. National Gymnastic Champion in 1970 and 1972. Her greatest gymnastics accomplishment was winning a silver medal on the balance beam at the 1970 World Championships, being the first American woman to win a medal in World Gymnastics.

She also competed on the 1972 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team, but was hampered by injury. Prior to the games, she posed for a relatively modest nude study (referring to the literal meaning of "gymnastics") for "Sports Illustrated", which was reprinted in a late-2005 issue.

Rigby retired from gymnastics after the 1972 Olympics. She married Tommy Mason, a professional football player, had two sons and began acting.

Acting career

In 1974, Rigby appeared as Peter Pan in a touring production. The role of Peter Pan suited Rigby well. She played that part on Broadway and on tour throughout the 1990s and most recently in 2004-06. Rigby reprised her role as Peter Pan at Pittsburgh CLO from June 21 - July 2, 2008 which took place at the Benedum Center. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/118910.html]

Rigby turned her efforts to television, working for 18 years as a commentator for ABC Sports and appearing in made-for-television movies.

In 1981, Rigby returned to the stage, starring as Dorothy in the "Wizard of Oz". During that production, Rigby met her second husband, Tom McCoy. She credits McCoy with enabling her to fight bulimia, a disease which she lived with since the end of her gymnastics career. [Pendergast, Tom, and Sara Pendergast. "St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture". Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_bio/ai_2419201007 FindArticles.com] ] She had two daughters, Theresa and Kaitlin, with her second husband. Other theatrical appearances included "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Meet Me In St. Louis". Rigby was also a spokeswoman for Stayfree Feminine Napkins.

During the 1980s, Rigby also began publicly speaking about her experiences with eating disorders. Rigby, who suffered from bulimia for 12 years, told "People" magazine in 1992, "I wanted to be perfect in my attitude and in my weight. Inside I was going crazy. I probably consumed 10,000 calories a day or more in fast foods. I can tell you where every McDonald's and Jack in the Box was along the way (to my voice lessons) -- and every bathroom where I could get rid of the food."

McCoy and Rigby own a theatrical production company called McCoy Rigby Entertainment, which currently produces a "Peter Pan" touring show, in which Rigby also stars. The 2005 tour was billed as Rigby's farewell tour before Rigby reprised her role as Peter Pan in 2008 at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh.

Awards and honors

* A multiple-exposure image of Rigby on the balance beam was included on the Voyager Golden Record as an example of the range of human motion.
* The greatest theatrical acclaim was given to Rigby when she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, for her 1990-91 performance as Peter Pan.
* In 1997, Rigby was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.ref|hof
* In 1999, the production of "Peter Pan", of which Rigby was a member, was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
* In 2004, Rigby received a Distinguished Lifetime Service Award from The League of American Theatres and Producers.

References

* cite web
title = Cathy Rigby
work = International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
url = http://www.ighof.com/honorees/honorees_rigby.html
accessmonthday = May 12
accessyear = 2007

External links

* [http://www.mccoyrigby.com/ McCoy Rigby Entertainment]
* [http://www.mccoyrigbydance.com]
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* [http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/speakers.asp?1+EV+424 Cathy Rigby Biography]
* [http://www.gymn-forum.net/bios/women/rigby.html List of competitive results at Gymn Forum]