The Three P's.

Perspective, Perseverance and Passion... are the three p's that best describe Sandler Chase.  He came into this world at an altitude of 8,150’ in Vail, CO. Although born a little guy, it was obvious there was nothing small about his heart and soul.  As soon as he opened his eyes he immediately began changing people's lives.  There was something special, beyond special needs, that was apparent as soon as he took his first breath. As his journey began it was evident he would have an abundance of obstacles, yet he embodied the power and competitive spirit to hurdle anything in his path.

To know Sandler is to be given a heavy dose of perspective.  Spending time with a sick child is a difficult and humbling experience and for those reasons people often chose to avoid being around him when he was a baby.  His exceptionally small size, the fact that he had a feeding tube running through his stomach and his need for constant medical attention was not only unnerving, but also uncomfortable for many.  However, all of his needs became second nature for his mom and became part of their existence; and their comfortability helped them coexist more smoothly. Those lucky enough to spend time with Sandler quickly saw beyond his small, weak physical appearance and inevitably became (and continue to become) fans.

Much of the perspective gained by others is seeing his perseverance. Wether it be watching him constantly conquer the many challenges that come with his diagnosis or tackling a new trick on his skateboard... it is apparent that the kid has an unequivocal desire to achieve the unimaginable.  His mom was told that he may never walk, talk, or even live—his delays paired with his failure to thrive were so significant that he was on a downward spiral.  Sandler never has, and never will give up!  He may have been years behind but he didn't 'just' start walking, he climbed.  He also started talking (though hard to understand for those who are just meeting him) but once he found speech he became a run-on sentence from dawn to dusk. Failure to thrive morphed into flourishing beyond expectations.

As Sandler got stronger and exceedingly more mobile, his mom got him his first helmet and skateboard when he was about three. Without any visual of what one does on a skateboard, he put the board under his feet with an incredible instinct to ride which developed his passion for skateboarding immediately.  Though he was on the move, he was not fully stable—and in fact he was a walking hazard.  But that didn't stop him from designing a style of skating that adapted to his ability.  Within a day he was not only skateboarding on all fours, but he was using the boxes that the gear arrived in to build obstacles and attempt tricks off them. In that moment his mom realized the passion Sandler had for skateboarding would transcend into an outlet opening doors to communicate and provide him with a community that accepts him for who he is.

- Nikki