Leigh Hennessy also known as Leigh Hennessy Robson, is a stunt woman, author, and trampoline gymnast. She was a two-time double mini-

trampoline A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame often using many coiled spring (device), springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes. The fabric that use ...

world champion, (1976, 1978) and won a silver medal in synchronized trampoline at the World Trampoline Championships, (1976). In the late 1990s, she translated her athletic career into one as an actress and stunt performer for film and television.

Early life and education

Leigh Hennessy was born in Lafayette,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. Her father, Jeff Hennessy, was an expert in the sport of

trampolining Trampolining or trampoline gymnastics is a competitive Olympic Games, Olympic sport in which athletes perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. In competition, these can include simple jumps in the straight, pike, tuck, or straddle posit ...

. She started jumping on trampolines at age 3, and her father serving as her first coach. Hennessy attended Lafayette High School and the

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a Public university, public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus Universi ...

(UL Lafayette), and trained under her father. She earned her master's degree in communication from UL Lafayette. In 2008, Hennessy and Mark B. Robson married at the Birse Kirk church in

Birse Birse () is a parish in the Lower Deeside area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which includes the communities of Finzean and Ballogie. However the name Birse is often used to refer only to the northwestern part of the parish which lies on the sou ...

, located in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...

Trampoline

In 1978, she was the first athlete, male or female, to win all three trampoline events in the US National Championships. She was honored in 1978 by the Southern Amateur Athletic Union as "Athlete of the Year. While attended UL Lafayette, Hennessy was a five-time National

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

(AAU) All-American for trampoline, from 1976 to 1980. After graduation, Hennessy became a 10-time United States champion and two-time World Champion. According to

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

, she holds the record for winning the most US national championships in trampoline for women. She competed for the United States in numerous world championships in individual trampoline, synchronized trampoline, and double mini-trampoline, winning two Senior level world titles. In August 2007, Hennessy was inducted into the

USA Gymnastics United States of America Gymnastics (USA Gymnastics or USAG) is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. It sets the domestic rules and policies that govern the sport, promotes and develops gymnastics on the grassroots ...

Hall of Fame in recognition of her trampoline achievements.

Film career

Leigh's career shifted to stunt work in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. Among her list of credits includes performing stunts for

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...

as her stunt double in GI Jane (1997), performing 90-foot high-falls for

Lucy Liu Lucy Alexis Liu (; born December 2, 1968) is an American actress, producer, and artist. Widely regarded as a trailblazer for Asian Americans in arts and entertainment, Asian American representation in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, she is t ...

in both

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC. It originally aired from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was produ ...

movies (2000, 2003) and, she shared the opening scenes of ''The Guardian'' (2006) with

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...

, in which she played the role of the drowning wife. She was nominated for a

Taurus World Stunt Award The Taurus World Stunt Awards is a yearly award ceremony held midyear that honors stunt performers in movies. It is held each year in Los Angeles. The first awards were given out in 2001. The deciding committee has been around since the year 2000. ...

in 2006, 2007 for her work.

Publications

* *

Honors

*World Acrobatics Society Legends Hall of Fame, 2005 *Lifetime achievement award from the International Trampoline Federation, 1982 *University of Louisiana Ragin Cajun Athletics Hall of Fame, 2019

References

External links

Official site
*
Louisiana Ragin Cajun Athletic Network
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennessy, Leigh University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumni People from Lafayette, Louisiana American female trampolinists Actresses from Louisiana University of Louisiana at Lafayette people Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American women