By Athletics Communication Intern Derek Blalock

Some athletes naturally gravitate toward leadership roles. There might be no better example than Amber Lefler, who might've been mildly surprised by this characterization as a quiet freshman on the Oakland swimming and diving team. 
 

As a senior, however, the Windsor, Ontario native naturally has developed into a motherly figure for much of the younger Golden Grizzlies by using her past circumstances to help encourage, comfort and mold them into stronger individuals.
 

"Before I got to Oakland, I was pretty quiet," Leflersaid. "During my freshman year, I just didn't say much, but once I started to get to know everyone I kind of found who I was...I learned the most about myself."
 

As a teenager in seventh grade, Leflerdeveloped bicep tendonitis, something she doesn't talk about often, which forced her to meet with a trainer every day and attend physical therapy twice a week. The tendonitis can worsen depending on the time of the year but she has been able to control it to go on and still compete at a high level.
 

A concussion also forced her out of the pool for two weeks as a freshman, which allowed her a new perspective and an ability to relate to the future Golden Grizzlies.
 

"The thing about Amber is she's special in a lot of ways," Head Coach Pete Hovlandsaid. "The younger kids, she's not much older than her teammates, but she has that motherly hold over our kids. 
 

"Kids gravitate toward her when they have issues, or when they have problems, or have a question. Amber is always there for them helping them and guide them. But she's also tough on them too because she holds them accountable."

Not only is Amber a light for the younger members of the swim and dive team, but she has also been able to provide great friendships to fellow seniors on the team, including her freshman year roommate and fellow Canadian Olivia Strevett. Strevett, who unfortunately had to end her season and career in 2018, has found Leflerto be an important figure while battling injury and sickness.
 

"She just cares so much for everyone," Strevettsaid.  "She's willing to put everyone else before herself, (and I) definitely have gone to her many times to talk to her about what I've been struggling with. She's always there to talk, and she's definitely that mom figure."
 

These injuries, however, haven't slowed her down in the pool as she has been one of Oakland's more successful swimmers over the past four years, which included being a member of six league championship relay teams. As a freshman and sophomore, Leflerwas a member of the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams that won the Horizon League Conference Championship. The 400 freestyle relay team in 2016 set a then-league, school and pool records with a time of 3:21.03. In 2018, she was a member of the 400 freestyle relay team that set a new school and league record, as well as the 800 freestyle relay team that took home the championship.

"She's a big meet swimmer," Hovlandsaid. "She saves her best for the end of the season which you really like. You know you can count on her, and she's extremely dependable." 

Growing up across the border in Canada, however, Leflerdid not expect Oakland University to be her college of choice. She was looking at maybe going a little further away from home, but her visits to campus made it clear that Rochester, Michigan was the place for her.
 

"(My teammates) are so welcoming because my friends, especially my high school friends, they didn't really get the swimming," Leflersaid. "But now at Oakland, I get to share it with them, and life is just a lot better with them."
 

For Amber's mother, Cynthia Facchinato, the sheer number of opportunities, both in and out of the pool has been the real difference between her daughter's experience at Oakland, and perhaps other universities. Amber has been a part of the student athlete advisory committee (SAAC) and will continue to look at options to potentially attend P.A. school back in Canada.
 

"It's almost hard to put into words because it's been so good," Facchinatosaid. "(I'm) so thankful to Pete, and all the coaches who've worked with her for giving her that opportunity you know to be able to go away for school and have all these experiences."