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Cathleen Roxanne Rigby (b. Los Alamitos, California, December 12, 1952) is a gymnast, actress and speaker.
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 Tom Mason, a professional football player, had two sons and began acting. In 1974 she appeared as Peter Pan in a touring production. 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. She had two daughters with her second husband. Other theatrical appearances included Annie Get Your Gun and Meet Me In St. Louis. During the 1980s, Rigby also began publicly speaking about her experiences with eating disorders.
The biggest 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. The role of Peter Pan suited Rigby well. She played that part on Broadway and on tour throughout the 1990s. 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.
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 has been billed as Rigby's farewell tour.
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.
In 1997, Rigby was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. [1]
[edit] Reference
- ↑ CATHY RIGBY. International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Retrieved on April 01, 2006.
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