Richelle Lefler wins Everyday Heroes Award from Cedar Point

Richelle Lefler of Newcomerstown was surprised recently to learn she was one of 15 winners of the Everyday Heroes Awards from Cedar Point. She wasn’t as surprised when she found out it was her adopted daughter, Chelsea, 25, who was born with Down syndrome, who nominated her.

The prize is free admission to Cedar Point for life and includes three extra passes for designated family members or friends. The passes include free parking and admission to the Cedar Point Shores water park.

“I was just really floored. I wasn’t expecting anything like that,” Richelle Lefler said.

“Mommy is awesome,” Chelsea Lefler said of her reason for the nomination. She was confident her mother was “probably” going to win even though the competition received thousands of entries.

Chelsea Lefler, who loves to look up information on the internet, saw the contest when she was on the Cedar Point website looking for information for a trip for herself and her boyfriend, Logan.

“She helps me to not be scared and be brave,” Chelsea Lefler wrote in her application. “My mom works every day, and she loves me lots.” She also praised her mother for helping others including the family of her boyfriend, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

If not for a tutor opportunity in college that inspired Richelle Lefler to change her major from teaching high school math and English to special education, the two might never have met.

Richelle Lefler first met her daughter at her job as a special education teacher at Newcomerstown West Elementary. She was Chelsea’s teacher for grade 1-5.

“We had an immediate connection,” Richelle Lefler said. “She had some different things going on in her life that made school a refuge for her, that source of consistency.”

After Chelsea moved to sixth grade, the two still stayed in touch. “We did hangouts with her and her best friend, Faith, and we did sleepovers, so she got to meet my parents. I didn’t know God was working all this out for her to get familiar with other people in my life,” Richelle Lefler said.

A friend who had previously talked to Richelle Lefler about taking Chelsea in if the need arose contacted her. “She wanted to know if I was serious about it. I said, ‘Well, I am,’ and she said, 'That’s great because I gave your name to children’s services.'”

Arrangements were made, and Chelsea moved in on June 7, 2010. “It’s been an adventure ever since,” Richelle Lefler said.

One day Chelsea said she wanted Richelle’s last name to be her last name, which led to the adoption.

“People often will say to me things like ‘that is so great you did that’ but really the kudos go to my family. I made the conscious choice to take Chelsea in, but they’ve made the conscious choice to accept her and welcome her as part of the family,” Richelle Lefler said. "It’s like she has always been there; she’s always been part of our family."

Richelle Lefler said her life has gotten fuller with the addition of her daughter. “I think as a parent God reveals cracks in your life that you didn’t know existed,” she said.

Four years before Chelsea came to live with her, Richelle Lefler’s best friend was killed. “I just didn’t realize some of those feelings, that connection with someone else, was missing. What she brings to my life is more than I ever imagined, more than I even knew I was missing,” she said.

Chelsea is the most genuine person Richelle Lefler knows. “She’s just completely herself all the time. When we watch a movie, we watch it like 10 times, but every time she sees it, it’s like the first time. It’s the way she experiences life that is life changing to me, and it’s been an honor being her mom,” she said.

Having Chelsea got Richelle Lefler connected with others in the community including parent groups, Challenger Baseball, Special Olympics, the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Advocates for Success.

“The connections she brought into my life and the people I’ve met, we’re just blessed,” Richelle Lefler said.

In 2015 Richelle Lefler became the local coordinator for Special Olympics in Tuscarawas County. Under her leadership the program has increased the number of sports available from five to 12.

“I love it; it’s my passion,” she said. “The biggest passion I had when I got involved was having the athletes take an active role in the implementation and planning of the program. We have about 12 athletes that faithfully serve on that. They help me plan things, and they give me ideas and thoughts.”

With COVID -19, Special Olympics activities have moved online to Zoom with karaoke nights, a talent show, games, movie nights and even a birthday party.

“My biggest hope in this, as being a parent, is that other parents realize there are so many things available for your child even if they do have a disability — not to give up that hope, that there are lots of things they can do. Even if they require additional support to do it, they still can do it,” Richelle Lefler said. “I think that is just my ultimate hope with Special Olympics too is to show that we are not defined by our disabilities. It is part of who so many of our athletes are, but it’s not all they are.”

Richelle Lefler sees how important Special Olympics is to people with disabilities through Chelsea. Instead of activities that offered only participation awards, Chelsea wanted to challenge herself.

“This past February, watching her in the (swimming) pool at Bowling Green, she was able to get two gold medals and a silver. That’s something she has worked for three years for,” Richelle Lefler said. “It finally came to fruition this year, and to see that look of pride and joy that came on her face, that’s all I needed. The critical thinking and the planning it takes is something I can’t do for her. She had to make the conscious choice to do that for herself, and I’ve just been amazed at the difference.”

The socialization is important too, and Special Olympics also afforded the opportunity to travel to events in Las Vegas, Tennessee and Seattle.

Richelle Lefler and Chelsea are happy to be together, and the Everyday Heroes prize will enrich their lives.

“Chelsea has been practicing for her first trip by putting her arms up and telling me what sounds to make on the roller coaster,” Richelle Lefler said.

Richelle Lefler is grateful for her life and appreciates whatever God brings into it. “I’m humbled by the award,” she said. “I’m very honored, but it’s also sometimes difficult to accept an award for just doing things that you should do. We should help people. We should love people. We should do all those things, so sometimes to get an award for it is humbling.”