NT_062019

42 | June 20, 2019 | The Northbrook tower sports
northbrooktower.com
Northbrook resident takes
part in GLASA swim event
Nick Frazier
Contributing Sports Editor
There were plenty of
feel-good stories to go
around on the North Shore.
That’s because the Great
Lakes Adaptive Sports Association,
or GLASA, held
its annual Great Lakes
Games at Lake Forest High
School and Niles West
High School. LFHS hosted
archery, powerlifting, boccia
and swimming on Friday,
June 14, and Saturday,
June 15, while Niles West
was home to the track meet
on Sunday, June 16.
The Great Lakes Games
is a multi-sport regional
competition for athletes
with a physical disability
or visual impairment. Over
230 athletes registered to
participate this year, including
some United States
paralympians attempting to
break world records. Some
athletes were from local
communities such as Lake
Bluff, Northbrook and Wilmette.
It’s now been 20 years
since GLASA executive
director Cindy Housner
founded the organization.
“I had worked with athletes
previously with physical
or visual disabilities, I
just saw so much the importance
of sports and how
it affects everyday life in
regards to self-esteem and
independence,” Housner
said. “[GLASA] provides
opportunities for travel,
and for our athletes to be
successful in school, college
and go on to lead their
projected life. There wasn’t
an agency in this area, that
was doing it, that’s kind of
why it prompted me to start
the organization.”
The North Shore had
three athletes take part in
Northbrook native Emily Duff competes in the mixed
50-meter freestyle at the Great Lakes Games on
Saturday, June 15, at Lake Forest High School. Nick
Frazier/22nd Century Media
the swim meet at Lake Forest
High School. Emily
Duff, a 15-year-old from
Northbrook, took part in
the 50-meter freestyle. The
incoming Glenbrook North
freshman received plenty
of applause as she finished
the race.
Julia Tanna, a Lake Bluff
resident, competed in the
mixed 50-meter breaststroke
and the 100-meter
freestyle.
A junior at LFHS, Tanna
swims with the high school
team, qualifying for the
state meet in four events
in November. She also set
the girls Class A school
record for the 100-meter
breaststroke in 2018 with
a time of 2 minutes, 09.59
seconds.
Meanwhile, Wilmettenative
Jordan Heinrich
competed in six total
events. Her best finish
came in the mixed 100-meter
backstroke, when Heinrich
completed the race in
2:16.30 to place second.
Heinrich, 16, also swam
well in the mixed 50-meter
backstroke, finishing second
in her heat.
Marilyn Wieland has
been a member of GLA-
SA’s board of directors for
over 12 years now. She
also is an Illinois paralympic
swimming official and
served as director of the
swim meet.
“We’ve been doing it for
years, we love it,” Wieland
said of the meet. “We love
to see the kids smiles on
their face, we actually do
other regional meets and
junior nationals that are up
in Minnesota this year.”
Housner’s daughter
swam at Lake Forest, and
the organization has a good
relationship with Scouts
girls swimming and diving
coach Carolyn Grevers. The
Great Lakes Games’ swim
meet has been at LFHS for
10 years now, bringing a
smile to those who take part
and creating lifelong memories
for the athletes.
“The entire school support
staff, [athletic director]
Tim Burkhalter, his
coaches and his staff across
the board have been so
extremely supportive,”
Housner said. “They truly
believe in our missions and
being inclusive. It’s one
of our strongest partners,
we’re very appreciative
for the partnership that we
have in Lake Forest High
School.”