Midwest Cheer Elite continues to cope with a tragic loss.

By Brianne Carlon

On November 13, Midwest Cheer Elite in West Chester, OH, experienced a painful and horrific loss. An athlete’s mother was killed in an automobile accident on her way to a cheer competition in Columbus, along with the other driver. Three cheerleaders and another parent, who were also riding in the car, were all hospitalized. Lori Morris was buried a week later. Her daughters Sarah, 10, and Brooke, 14, as well as Cindy Blair, survived with multiple injuries. Cindy’s daughter, Kenzy, 14, was thought to be dead at the scene, but is now getting better every day and even attending competitions to cheer on her team. CBN talked with MCE owner Tanya Roesel in January to check in on their healing process and their appreciation for the outpouring of love from the cheer industry.

CBN: Can you tell me what happened that day?

Tanya Roesel: It was weird. We were in Columbus, and Lori was our booster treasurer, so she was due to arrive at 10 am. We were calling her cell phone because she was late. We didn’t think anything of it when she didn’t answer. But at the same time, we were getting calls from other parents saying they would be late due to an accident on Route 275. One told us that it was probably a fatality since the road had been closed off.

I never allow parents in the warm up area, but that day, a parent came back and informed us that Lori was in an accident on 275, but that she’d be there. I quickly realized it was likely the same accident. We immediately called Lori’s husband, and as we were on the phone, the police came to his door and inform him that his wife had passed away. At that time, we knew she’d died, and that her kids were in the car, as well as another family. They had thought Kenzy had passed away immediately as well, but when they checked her body to confirm it, she moved her fingers.

CBN: How did the accident happen?

TR: Lori was driving with her two daughters, Sarah and Brooke [in the back].

Cindy was in the passenger seat and Kenzy was in the back. Witnesses saw the other car going the wrong way on the highway, possibly a suicide attempt. The 25-year-old driver was going at very high speeds and never tried to brake.

CBN: What decisions needed to be made at that point in regard to your teams? Did you still compete?

TR: We had a team competing during the actual moments that we found out. After they were finished, we asked the families to meet. We told everyone that Lori had died and the other four passengers were on life support. We sent everyone home except our World’s team, which was competing that night.

When those teams went on, Elite Cheer of Raleigh, NC, rallied all of their parents and stood in the VIP section to cheer for our kids since everyone had left. Our kids started sobbing, as did we. [Elite Cheer] will never know [how much] they did for us that day.

CBN: What measures were taken initially to help the athletes and coaches cope with the loss?

TR: That night there was a prayer vigil at the gym. Kenzy was in ICU, and although kids wanted to visit her, we had to tell them they couldn’t. There was a lot of communication and card making. A pastor was available for one-on-one time. Our front desk lady became our spokes person, and the media was allowed outside, but not in the gym. We were sending out updates every hour. Our gym is large, so this tragedy actually brought us [closer] together.

CBN: How did you cope?

TR: I had a hard time. Saturday night I was more in shock, and I did not remember much about the day. Sunday was even harder. On Monday we made plans to go to the hospital, so I asked my husband to come with me. I was not ready to do any interviews and our phones were ringing off the hook. I felt responsible because they were coming to a competition that [ital: I’d] scheduled. But Lori’s husband [said] it wasn’t my fault, and that helped me.

CBN: What kind of support did you receive from the cheer community?

TR: Lori was a private person, so I didn’t realize they did not have insurance. People started bringing in checks to give them, and other gyms set up collections. “HUGS for Midwest” was started by Varsity as a fundraiser, where they sell buttons and all the proceeds go to the families involved. I was recently a judge in Las Vegas, and it was weird to see cheerleaders from California wearing buttons in support of Midwest. [ital: Editor’s note: As of press time, “HUGS for Midwest had raised $31,830 for the Morris and Blair families.]

CBN: What was your next move?

TR: We already had All Star Challenge on our schedule for exactly a week after the accident. I decided that we had to do it. The kids were looking to us to say, “It’s going to be OK.” But Lori was going to be buried on Saturday. So we went to the funeral on Saturday, and then the competition on Sunday. The way All Star Challenge works is that you can win the Super Prize Division and the prize is $1,000. We sat down with the kids and said, “We’re doing this for the families because they need this money. So we’re going to go and put on a show for no other reason.” All the other gyms’ teams that won, donated their money to the families. We were given almost $10,000.

CBN: How did that make you feel?

TR: There was so much support. Someone started “Wear Blue on Wednesday” the week that Lori died. Another person sent me a message with a video with everyone, including Cheer Extreme and American Elite, plus others, all wearing blue. It was a tribute to Midwest Cheer Elite. I cried because people reached out and help a gym and a family that they didn’t even know.

CBN: How did the dynamic of the gym change after the tragedy? Was it difficult to maintain normalcy?

TR: I’ve said we will never be the same. We constantly say, “Take your time and be safe when driving.” Our gym is closer, and our program is closer with other teams. It has made us view the sport a little differently. It is competitive, but when you take off the uniform, everyone is someone’s daughter or mother or father. Other gyms sent cards or flowers or wore blue. The little kids couldn’t believe that the Stingrays had sent cards. It was a good lesson about companionship and not being rivals.

CBN: How is Kenzy?

TR: She and her mom spent the most time in the hospital. She had taken her seatbelt off to grab a hot chocolate from her mom, so she was thrown around the van. Her leg and pelvis were broken, along with all the bones in her face. She also had an aneurism that night. There was a bleed in the brain, and she had lost the dental plate that holds in her lower teeth. [Doctors] said she is a miracle. She just recently came into to the gym to watch, and she is going to JAMFest Nationals with us this weekend to walk on the floor with her team.

CBN: Are Lori’s children still cheering?

TR: Brooke broke her back and had to have surgery. Sarah had a broken shoulder from the seatbelt. In order for them to get to the gym, they have to pass the scene of the accident. Right now, Brooke is not physically ready, and I don’t think either of them are emotionally ready.

CBN: How is the gym coping two months later?

TR: [The athletics] are doing really well. Having Kenzy visiting makes them feel excited and helps keep up with her progress. We call to check up on Lori’s family. We have had a little time to heal, and we’re all wearing our seatbelts now.

CBN: What are your plans to remember and honor Lori?

TR: When we went to Lori’s burial site, we kept walking on acorns. Elite Michigan sent us a planter, which turned out to be an oak tree. It was meant to be. When we get the tree big enough, we’re going to put the tree outside the gym as a memorial. We also had a billboard [made] with a big blue ribbon that says “We Will Never Forget.” We also plan to hold fundraisers every November for the families.

CBN: What advice do you have for other gyms that experience a tragic loss?

TR: When you have to make decisions, go with your gut. When we sent people home, that was a good decision. When we decided to compete seven days later, it was questionable, but it helped so it was the right thing to do. Also, let everyone know that it is OK to cry and show emotion.

CBN: How can the cheer community help now?

TR: Prayer is the biggest thing right now. Brooke and Sarah [will] have a lifetime without a mom, and Kenzy will have a different life than she did before.