Eileen Philippa "Phil" Raschker (born February 21, 1947[1]) has been called the greatest female athlete in the world over the age of 60, and some say she may be the greatest female athlete of all time.[2]
Raschker was born in Hamburg, Germany, where she first competed in swimming and gymnastics. She first tried track at age 13. She emigrated to the United States in the late 1960s and now is an accountant in Marietta, Georgia.[3] She has amassed 68 Gold Medals at the World Masters Athletics Championships,[4] including the ten she won at the most recent championships in 2009,[5] since she began competing at that level in 1983. As of 2010, she holds ten outdoor Masters World Records across sprints, hurdles and jumping events[6] and another dozen indoors.[7]
Raschker was named the inaugural 2007 IAAF Masters Athlete of the year[8] and is a two time finalist for the Sullivan Award.[9] She was elected to the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 1997[10] and is also a member of the National Senior Games Association Hall of Fame.[11]