Career
Deardurff swam for the Cincinnati Marlins, a team funded by Charles Keating. One of the team coaches was Paul Bergen, who is reported to have said that swimmers need 12,000 miles of experience in order to compete in the Olympics. At the age of 15, Deardurff represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.
Deardurff and her relay teammates Melissa Belote, Cathy Carr and Sandy Neilson set a new world record of 4:20.75 in the event final.
Individually, she also competed in the women"s 100-meter butterfly, finishing fourth in the event final with a time of 1:03.95. She also received a silver medal in the women"s 4×100-meter medley relay at the 1973 World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Deardurff alleged that she was abused by her coach beginning at age 11, but did not speak about it at the time. In 2010, she spoke publicly about the issue of sexual abuse by coaches.
She was the head coach of San Diego State University"s swimming and diving program until her contract was non-renewed in 2007.
San Diego State was without a swimming pool facility, and she was battling cancer at the time of her non-renewal.
