Phyllis Reffo is not a typical college athlete. She celebrated her 49th birthday March 13, and she is a mother of two teenage girls.
Whenever she enters Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool, many think she is one of faculty members or Malibu residents who come to enjoy the nice weather by the water. However, it is not quite so. Reffo is a full-time student and a member of the swimming and diving team.
She shared her family background in an interview with the NCAA. Coming from a family of Italian immigrants, Reffo grew up in a very strict home. Her parents did not appreciate that their daughter played basketball games and volleyball or joined a track team.
When she graduated from Bishop Grandin High School in Calgary, Alberta, with the class of 1980, Reffo did not choose to pursue her education further by going to college. Being employed as a fashion model, she spent several years traveling all over the world, from Tokyo to London, from Milan to New York City.
After that, Reffo spent almost eight years working as a broker within the financial industry in Vancouver, Canada.
“I learned the financial business from the ground up and took the appropriate industry courses that would allow me to function at more demanding levels within the industry,” Reffo wrote in an email, “from the bottom up, as they say. Within a few years I was working with a partnership of brokers, very exciting work. And at the same time, very demanding.”
She resumed swimming six years ago, to stay in shape and maintain fitness after a knee replacement surgery due to her torn anterior cruciate ligament.
When kinesiology professor and swimming and water polo coach Steve Contarsy of Santa Monica College, where Reffo was getting her associate’s degree in general science, noticed a persistent and technical swimmer, he suggested that she join the team. Reffo couldn’t say no to the enticing offer, even though it brought additional challenges. When she graduated from the college with high honors, she realized that at that point the education she had achieved was not enough. She applied to many universities, but being accepted to all of them she chose Pepperdine for “its outstanding sports medicine program.”
That’s how Reffo found her place as a Wave, becoming one of the oldest female Division I athletes in history.
“Phyllis is improving a lot as a swimmer,” Head Coach Nick Rodionoff said, “Her strokes are getting better. She has gained a lot of strength, and the team is looking forward to a successful season.”
For now, the primary goal that Reffo has determined for herself is to masterfully combine her academic studies and intense schedule of swim practices.
Reffo has become an inspirational model for her much younger teammates, as she gives a perfect example of dedication and spiritual strength.
“‘Suit up and show up’ is my favorite quote, most useful when it comes to swimming,” Reffo said, “but applies to all facets of life. Dress the part and do the job, essentially.
“Everyone I come in contact with teaches me something valuable, and I always look to someone who is a little ahead of me to strive toward and someone who is beyond where I am — a hero. Dara Torres, Janet Evans are two examples.”
Reffo listed her future goals as “being a good mother and conscientious human” and “becoming a physical therapist.”
