Cathy Rigby
| Cathleen Roxanne Rigby | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1952 Los Alamitos, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Cathy Rigby-McCoy |
| Occupation | former gymnast, actress |
| Known for | gymnastics, acting |
Cathleen Roxanne Rigby (born December 12, 1952), best known as Cathy Rigby, is a former gymnast, actress and speaker.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 had been working on a move for the balance beam that was quite risky for the time: an aerial walkover, in which she somersaulted forwards on the balance beam. Because she was injured, she did not attempt this move during the competition, and this contributed to why she did not win any medals.
Rigby retired from gymnastics after the 1972 Olympics. She married Tommy Mason (a professional football player), ran a successful gymnastics camp, had two sons, and began acting.
[edit] Acting career
In the mid-70's Rigby shattered an old taboo by appearing in a series of TV commercials for StayFree Maxi-pads created by Young & Rubicam copywriter Peter Cornish, thereby becoming the first celebrity to endorse a feminine hygiene product. Rigby then turned her efforts to television, working for 18 years as a commentator for ABC Sports and appearing in made-for-television movies. In 1976, she appeared in a role as a guest star Russian gymnast on the TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man."
In 1981, Rigby starred 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 had lived with since the end of her gymnastics career.[1] 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, in an article she wrote for People Magazine in 1984, said: "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." [2] According to a People Magazine interview in 1991, "twice she was hospitalized and nearly died from electrolyte imbalance."[3]
In 1990, Rigby first appeared as Peter Pan in the eponymous musical on Broadway and later took the production on tour. Rigby received excellent reviews for her performance and was nominated for a Tony Award.[4] She played the role again in 1998-99 and in a 2004-2005 tour that was billed as Rigby's farewell, and she temporarily retired from playing Peter in 2006.[5]
McCoy and Rigby own a theatrical production company called McCoy Rigby Entertainment, which produces a Peter Pan touring show, in which Rigby stars. Rigby returned to the role of Peter Pan in 2008 at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh and again appeared as Peter in 2009 at the Mansion Theater in Branson, MO. A new tour of the show began August 2011.[4]
[edit] 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.[1]
- 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.
[edit] References
- ^ Pendergast, Tom, and Sara Pendergast. St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. FindArticles.com
- ^ Rigby McCoy, Cathy. "A Onetime Olympic Gymnast Overcomes the Bulimia That Threatened Her Life" People Magazine, August 13, 1984
- ^ Goodman, Mark. Cathy Rigby, Flying High" People Magazine, May 6, 1991
- ^ a b Kenneth Jones (24 August 2011). "Cathy Rigby Dusts Off Her Shadow for Peter Pan Tour, Beginning Aug. 24". Playbill (playbill.com). http://www.playbill.com/news/article/153910-Cathy-Rigby-Dusts-Off-Her-Shadow-for-Peter-Pan-Tour-Beginning-Aug-24-Tom-Hewitt-Is-Hook. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
- ^ "Cathy Rigby in her farewell performance as Peter Pan". Out & About Newspaper (Outandaboutnewspaper.com). 1 May 2005. http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article/1009. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
- ^ "Cathy Rigby". International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. http://www.ighof.com/honorees/honorees_rigby.html. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
[edit] External links
- McCoy Rigby Entertainment
- McCoy Rigby Dance Academy
- Cathy Rigby at the Internet Movie Database
- Cathy Rigby at the Internet Broadway Database
- Cathy Rigby at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
- List of competitive results at Gymn Forum
- Cathy Rigby Newspaper Articles
