Pioneering Skier Catherine Kasha Rigby has passed away at the age of 54. It is said that she has been killed in an avalanche in a resort in Kosovo. Catherine was a renowned U.S. telemark, big mountain, and expedition skier. The international skiing community is in mourning at this unexpected death.
After the sudden death, Rigby’s fiancée Magnis Wolfe Murray shared a message on Facebook. Message. In this message, he wrote that she died at the Brezovica mountain resort. However, police said that the avalanche hit the athlete as she was skiing out of the tourist lanes. Later Murray took immediate steps for CPR and rescuers’ medical assistance.
The Kosovo Mountain Search & Rescue Service carried out a search of an area called “Eagle’s Nest”. This area is known for its avalanche risks. They found one skier with a serious injury. They administered first aid, but the person did not survive.
Rigby was a native of Vermont and a resident of Utah. She started her skiing career in 1995. She worked with The North Face Athlete Team. The talented skiers skied all over the world with them until 2012.
The North Face Athlete Team shared a tribute following her death on Instagram, “During those 17 years, she put up many first ski descents, created lasting friendships, and encouraged the next generation of explorers,” The statement also mentioned, “She is remembered by our team as a pioneer on and off the mountain, with an authenticity and strength that inspired everyone she met. Our thoughts go out to Kasha’s family and friends.”
Rigby appeared on the cover of Women Outside magazine in 1998. The magazine dubbed her “the best female telemark skier in the known universe.” She descended peaks in several peaks in places like Lebanon, Russia, Siberia, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
Throughout her career, she appeared in projects such as the 2001 documentary film Cold Fusion. Furthermore, she participated in the National Geographic Channel series called “Ultimate Survival Alaska” in 2015.