Tammie Souza is not your average meteorologist. And she’s so much more than the girl next door.
Although Sawmill Creek separates our Willowbrook homes, I’ve watched the WFLD-Channel 32 Fox News meteorologist running past our house all summer in preparation for the Accenture Chicago Triathlon, which was held Aug. 26. And after kicking off her sneakers, Souza donned her scuba suit to get the scoop on shipwreck diving in Lake Michigan.
Souza, a four-time Chicago Emmy Award winner, is a PADI-certified scuba instructor. For her special report, Souza dove on a wreck located about three miles offshore of Evanston. The entire dive was captured on video, which aired Aug. 31.
“To my knowledge, I am one of the only, if not the only, Chicago news reporters to ever shoot a special report in person underwater on a shipwreck in Lake Michigan,” Souza said. “The experience of diving beneath the surface of Lake Michigan was amazing. We used special face masks that allowed me to talk to the other divers.”
Although she covered the deadly Utica tornado in 2004 and devastating San Diego wildfires in 2003, Souza is proud of her local diving adventure.
“I’m amazed that a person actually can dive on a wreck right here in our own backyard. No need to fly to an ocean - there are some 1,700 known shipwrecks in the Great Lakes,” she said. “Four hundred of them are right here in Lake Michigan. They are some of the best-preserved shipwrecks in the world.
“The ship I explored was called the Wells Burt. It was a magnificent 201-foot wooden, 3-masted schooner that went down in a vicious storm in May of 1883,” Souza added. “All 11 on board went down with her. She was returning to Chicago with a load of coal.”
The excursion caused her to catch the bug. She can’t wait to dive near a shipwreck again.
“There are dozens to explore. I think, more importantly, I am thrilled to be able to share the dive with viewers,” Souza said. “It’s something very few people have laid eyes on.”
Since she enjoys a myriad of athletic hobbies such as skiing, boating, fishing, hiking and flying, the challenge of outdoor sports captivates Souza. She shares scuba diving, hiking, boating and fishing time with her husband, Greg Hendricks, who teaches at Bloom High School in Chicago Heights.
Souza decided to train for Accenture after fellow anchor Patrick Elwood spearheaded the effort at work, and Hendricks proved to be her biggest fan. To train for the 12.5-mile cycling portion of the event, the couple went biking at Waterfall Glen in Darien.
“Originally, I was supposed to be part of a Fox News Chicago relay team, but the other two people dropped out. Competing in the triathlon were Patrick, Mike Borz and me,” Souza said. “So I did the 12.5-mile bike ride and the 3.2-mile run, but I didn’t do the ... swim. I thought someone else was doing it. I’m a good swimmer, but I wasn’t prepared. I probably could have done it. I ended up being the whole relay team.”
Despite the downsizing of her relay team, Souza’s training and perseverance prevailed.
“It was a beautiful day with blue skies in the low 80s. It was so pretty when we were biking along Lake Shore Drive after the sunrise at 6:30 a.m.,” she said. “It was really joyous, doing the triathlon with colleagues, being supportive of each other and doing our personal best that day.”
Elwood’s wife, Katie, and two of their four children stood with Hendricks to cheer the team on. They held up a sign that said “Go Daddy and Go Tammie!”
“After the triathlon I was exhausted and I was a little sore. But I got up the next day at 2:30 a.m. and went to work,” Souza said. “(It) was worth it because you feel a sense of pride and accomplishment no matter what your time. Next year, Greg’s going to do it with me. And we’re going to have even more people from the station do it with us.”
Both her triathlon and shipwreck diving experiences promise to inspire students when Souza, who has visited more than 400 Chicago-area schools, presents her interactive “Weather With Class” program this fall.
To see Tammie Souza’s shipwreck dive, visit www.myfoxchicago.com.
