Eileen Philippa "Phil" Raschker (born February 21, 1947) 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.

Raschker was born in Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, 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

Marietta, Georgia

Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...

. She has amassed 68 Gold Medals at the World Masters Athletics Championships

World Masters Athletics Championships

The World Masters Athletics Championships are the biannual championships for athletics events held under the auspices of World Masters Athletics, formerly called the World Association of Veteran Athletes, for athletes over the age of 35 years old....

, including the ten she won at the most recent championships in 2009, since she began competing at that level in 1983. As of 2010, she holds ten outdoor Masters World Records

Masters Athletics World Records

These are the current world records in the various age groups of Masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...

 across sprints, hurdles and jumping events and another dozen indoors.

Awards

Raschker was named the inaugural 2007 IAAF Masters Athlete of the year and is a two time finalist for the Sullivan Award

Sullivan Award

Sullivan Award may refer to:* Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award or Mary Mildred Sullivan Award; awarded at 29-grantee institutions of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation...

. She was elected to the USATF Masters Hall of Fame

USATF Masters Hall of Fame

The USA Masters Hall of Fame is the Masters section of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. It is intended to select worthy athletes from the various divisions of Masters athletics involved in the sports of track and field, road running and race walking...

 in 1997 and is also a member of the National Senior Games Association

Senior Olympics

The National Senior Games or "Senior Olympics" is a sports competition for seniors from the United States. It is a multi-sport event specifically devoted to adults aged 50+ . It is composed of regional competitions held yearly in all American states...

 Hall of Fame.

External links

• A pictorial tribute to Phil Raschker, by Roald Bradstock
  Roald Bradstock
  Arne Roald Bradstock is an English athlete who competed in the men's javelin throw event during his career. He twice represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics: 1984 and 1988. In 1992 he was an alternate for the GB Olympic Team and in 1996 was an alternate for USA Olympic team...
  
  
• Phil Raschker receiving Distinguished Service Award from the United States Sports Academy
  United States Sports Academy
  The United States Sports Academy is an accredited, sport-specific institution located in Daphne, Alabama. It offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs as well as certificate programs. Founded in 1972, the Academy has provided its sports programs to more than 60 countries around the...