WC_101818

4 | October 18, 2018 | The winnetka Current NEWS
winnetkacurrent.com
Knowthe early signs
of autism (& therapysolutions)
In this FREE seminar,you’ll discover thesigns of autism,the
benefits of earlydiagnosis,the latest therapyoptions andwhat
theIllinois insurancemandate covers. Includes refreshments.
PresentedbyBehavior Analysts LauraPrentice&Ewelina Wojnarowski
Thursday,October 18
5pmto6pm
Whitehall of Deerfield
300WaukeganRoad
Deerfield, Illinois
Sponsored by
Spaceislimited.
RSVP to Ashley Delaney
at 847.580.8198
or adelaney@
whitehallofdeerfield.com.
Saturdays through
Oct 20, 2018
7:30am – 12:30pm
Rain or Shine!
Winnetka Village Hall
South Parking Lot
(Green Bay Rd & Oak Street)
Guest Chef
Demonstrations
10:00am – 11:30am
Wine Tastings
11:00am – 12:30pm
Winnetka teen competes on
‘American Ninja Warrior Junior’
Libby Elliott, Freelance Reporter
Winnetka resident Courtney Schumacher
(left), 14, competed on “American Ninja
Warrior Junior.” The episode aired
Saturday, Oct. 13. She poses here with
Meagan Martin, one of the show’s All
Star Ninja mentors. Photo Submitted
Local fans of the hugely popular, fivetime
Emmy nominated “American Ninja
Warrior” reality TV series were thrilled to
know that on Saturday, Oct. 13, Universal
Kids premiered its spinoff, “American
Ninja Warrior Junior,” featuring nearly
200 boy and girl Ninjas aged 9-14 from
across the United States.
They’ll be even more excited to know
that one of the North Shore’s own was
among the debut show’s featured competitors:
14-year-old New Trier freshman,
Courtney Schumacher.
A four-sport athlete and triple-A hockey
player, 14-year-old Schumacher was
among thousands of applicants selected
to face-off on the same iconic obstacle
course used in the original series, competing
in the 13- and 14-year-old aged
bracket along with 63 other elite athletes.
Schumacher traveled to Los Angeles
with her family for a week last July to
tape the series’ first episode, but kept the
news under wraps for legal reasons.
Even after finding out last June that her
audition tape was selected from thousands
submitted, Schumacher had to stay mum,
divulging the secret to just a few members
of her immediate family, including her
brother, Teddy, 12, and sister, Maggie, 7.
“I was so excited. I wanted to tell everyone,”
said Schumacher, who began playing
competitive golf, basketball, baseball
and hockey as a first-grader.
Although Schumacher said the experience
was “incredible,” she couldn’t divulge
specific details of the competition
until “American Ninja Warrior Junior”
officially aired to audiences on Oct. 13.
Schumacher said she started watching
“American Ninja Warrior” as a fifthgrader
at Skokie School, and was immediately
hooked on the show’s fast-paced,
competitive action. The young athlete
was already pushing boundaries as one of
the only girls on her local travel baseball
team.
“Courtney has never been afraid of the
‘boys-only’ thing,” said her mom, Allison
Schumacher.
Just 10 years old at the time, Schumacher
vowed to audition for the show
when she turned 21, the show’s minimum
age of eligibility. When that age restriction
dropped to 19 at the beginning of
2018, Schumacher felt hopeful.
“I thought, ‘Great!” Schumacher said.
“Only five more years to go.”
Schumacher’s parents constructed an
obstacle course in their backyard, and
began driving her to training sessions at
nearby “Ninja”-certified gyms.
“In addition to being a gifted athlete,
Courtney is highly self-motivated,” Allison
said. “She’ll go outside and shoot
100 hockey pucks or go into her room and
knock out 15 pull-ups.”
Schumacher dedicated her “American
Ninja Warrior Junior” competition to her
little brother, Teddy, who developed a
brain tumor four years ago at age 8. After
the tumor was successfully removed,
Teddy developed epilepsy and could no
longer play competitive sports.
Last year, with the help of Schumacher’s
hockey team, Teddy raised thousands
of dollars for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation,
an organization that funds childhood
cancer research.
“Teddy is Courtney’s hero,” Allison
said.
Please see Ninja, 6