Local Teen Heads to Toronto to Swim in Parapan American Games

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy Anna Lettenberger; Team USA

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A Glen Ellyn girl will be competing in swimming events for Team USA at the Parapan American Games, which start next week.

Ahalya Lettenberger, 14, will travel to Tuesday to participate in the games, according to an email from her mom, Anna. Ahalya will be competing in the 400-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke, 100-meter breaststroke and 200-meter individual medley para-swimming events.

Opening ceremonies are Friday, Aug. 7, and competition begins Saturday, Aug. 8. Ahalya will compete everyday from Aug. 8 to 14, with only Monday, Aug. 10 to rest.

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“These games are a big step in [ Ahalya’s] Road to Rio,” Anna Lettenberger wrote, eluding to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The Paralympic Games are an international, multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities. Ahalya was born with arthrogryposis amyoplasia, a muscular-skeletal disorder affecting her legs. Swimming has been a way for her to deal with chronic hip pain because of bilateral hip dysplasia.

Ahalya began swimming at 11 and competed in her first para-swimming event at 12, but she’s already earned big achievements in the sport in such a short span of time. Last year, she was named to the U.S. Emerging Team and was on the U.S. roster for the Pan-Pacific Team.

This year, Ahalya , who swims at the Wheaton Swim Club and will be attending Glenbard West High School this year as a freshman, already has placed second in the 100-meter backstroke and third in the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter breaststroke.

The Parapan Games will be live-streamed on YouTube.