Cathy Rigby

Cathy Rigby is an American entertainer who has achieved fame as a gymnast, actor, and motivational speaker.

Gymnastics

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

She also competed in 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. Because she was injured, she did not attempt this move during the competition and did not win a medal.

In 1997, Rigby was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Acting

In the mid-1970s, 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 she had lived with since the end of her gymnastics career. Other theatrical appearances included Annie Get Your Gun and Meet Me In St. Louis.

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. 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. However, Rigby recently showed audiences that she "won't grow up" despite being 60 years old, and has begun another tour of Peter Pan starting in 2011 and continuing through 2013.

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, Missouri. A new tour of the show began August 2011. In 2012, she appeared in American Girl's McKenna Shoots for the Stars, as McKenna's gymnastics coach.

Personal Life

On January 20, 1972, Rigby married professional football player Tommy Mason. She had two sons with him:

• Thomas Buck "Bucky" Mason, b. 1976
• Ryan Mason, b. 1980

The couple divorced in 1981.

On September 11, 1982, Rigby married entertainment producer Tom McCoy. The couple has two daughters:

• Theresa McCoy, b. 1982
• Kaitlin McCoy, b. 1985