Before the sun rises on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, a group of 15 to 35 adult swimmers makes the plunge into the Malibu High School (MHS) pool for a swim workout.
Malibu Masters is an adult swim team that practices at the MHS pool and is made up of fitness swimmers, lifeguards, former college swimmers and triathletes. Led by local swimmer and former L.A. County lifeguard Bob Janis, the group typically swims up to 4,000 yards in their hour and 15 minute practices through a variety of swim sets.
The Malibu Times talked with three Malibu Masters regulars about the program, their swimming careers and their usual fitness routines.
Bob Janis
Janis has been coaching Malibu Masters since retiring from a 34-year career as an L.A. County lifeguard in 2009.
“The beauty of the masters program is that the swimmers are there because they want to be there,” he said.
Janis derives his coaching skills from a lifelong swimming background. The distance swimmer competed on a full scholarship at University of the Pacific and continued competing at U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) meets shortly after graduating. He also pursued a successful career as a triathlete while winning USMS championships as a masters swimmer.
“The beauty is [also] training with my friends,” he said. “[Fellow L.A. County lifeguard] Greg Bonnan has been my training partner for 48 years.”
Malibu Masters workouts are created by choosing a theme for the day and carrying it out in the pool. Janis’ themes range anywhere from distance swimming to sprints and stroke work.
“I structure the workout and cater it to swimmers with different abilities,” he said. “If I wouldn’t do a workout, I won’t give it to my swimmers.”
Janis claims that the two benefits of the Malibu Masters program include the workout itself and the ability to stay connected with other athletes.
“My favorite thing about the group is the camaraderie and friendships they build year after year, he said. “We have one rule, and that is ‘just show up.’ It may be dark and cold outside, but these people always show up.”
Phyllis Reffo
Formerly a runner, Reffo, now 53, first took to the pool at age 43 after sustaining a knee injury that no longer allowed her to race on foot.
“I couldn’t even swim a 50 [yards] when I started,” she said.
Reffo adapted to the water quickly, and she soon began training with the Santa Monica College team after returning to school. She continued her college swimming journey at Pepperdine, where she competed from 2011-13 as the oldest NCAA Division I swimmer of all time.
“I was the NCAA’s positive story that year as a single mom going back to school and swimming while taking care of two girls,” she shared.
Reffo finished her career as a college athlete in February 2013, but her time in the pool did not stop there. She immediately returned to Malibu Masters to stay in shape and continue improving her skills.
She said that the friends she had made through masters swimming were a major source of support through a divorce, four hip and shoulder surgeries and other personal hardships in recent years.
“They’ve kind of become a surrogate family because they’ve watched me go through trials and tribulations without judgement,” she said. “They have always been there.”
Stephanie Ertl
A 2014 Pepperdine graduate, Ertl is one of the group’s youngest members.The 23-year-old is in her second year working as an L.A. County lifeguard after a successful college swimming career. Ertl immediately began training with Malibu Masters and the Pepperdine masters program at the conclusion of her college swimming career.
“Pool training gives me endurance for long rescues,” she said. “I had a CPR rescue two weeks into last summer where the victim was out the length of the Santa Monica Pier. I dove in and swam all the way out to get him. Training with masters definitely helped me with that.”
The team aspect of the Malibu Masters program is one of the main reasons Ertl commutes to MHS from her home in Santa Monica.
“Everyone I swim with there is like family,” she said. “We all know how to joke around but still push each other when we’re being challenged. I also love masters because it is pressure free.”
Visit usms.org for more information.
