
Exploring the Wide World: From SA to the USA
Making an impact in people’s lives comes effortlessly to Bernadette Rigney. Her laugh is infectious, and her positive outlook on life makes you smile.
Born with a rare condition called Arthrogryposis, which affects the muscles and limits the range of motion in her arms and legs, she is no stranger to the challenges persons with disabilities experience in their everyday lives.
While schooling in Cape Town, Bernadette appeared in a variety of roles in concerts, including the show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which went to The Baxter Theatre for a few weeks. She became familiar with the industry at a very young age, and it taught her to be confident in her own skin.
She returned to Johannesburg and matriculated at the age of seventeen in 1997.
Bernadette had an opportunity to explore the USA, living and working in North Carolina for one year. She loved spending time in Miami and visited Paris.
Bernadette returned to Johannesburg in 2000.