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 using many coiled springs. Not all trampolines have springs, as the Springfree Trampoline uses glass-reinforced plastic rods. People bounce o ...

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 Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

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

trampolining Trampolining or trampoline gymnastics is a competitive 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 position to more co ...

. 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 research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...

(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, located in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...

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 reference book published annually, listing world ...

, 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. Established in 1963 as the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF), USA Gymnastics is responsible for selecting and train ...

Hall of Fame in recognition of her trampoline achievements.

Film career

Leigh's career shifted to stunt work in 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 making her film debut in 1981, Moore appeared on the soap opera '' General Hospital'' (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Br ...

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

Lucy Liu Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress. Her accolades include winning a Critics' Choice Television Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Seoul International Drama Award, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award. Liu has sta ...

in both Charlie's Angels 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, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

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