Family In Glen Ellyn Thrilled As Swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger Makes Paralympic Dream Come True In Tokyo
GLEN ELLYN, Ill. (CBS) -- A local swimmer made her Paralympic dreams come true over the weekend.
We first met Ahalya Lettenberger two summers ago, when she was preparing for the World Paralympic Swimming Championship.
Over the weekend, the Glen Ellyn native added some more hardware to her collection in Tokyo.
"I'm just really excited to hopefully get the chance to medal and represent my country on the biggest stage," Lettenberger said in July before she left for Tokyo.
And represent she did. Her family and friends gathered in downtown Glen Ellyn to cheer her on.
Lettenberger won the silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley – part of a 1-2 finish by Americans in the event. She also finished fourth in the 400-meter freestyle with her best time.
This all comes after Lettenberger wasn't even sure she would have the opportunity to compete at all, after last year's games were put off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lettenberger's family told us she was on her way to the airport Monday to return to Rice University in Houston, where she is studying bioengineering and pre-med.