Sam and Xavier: Racing to Make an IMPACT!

July 02, 2025

Sam is a 17-year-old enrolled in services here at Foothills Gateway. Sam and his mother, Candy, will be running in the Chicago Marathon in October and wanted to share their unique story.

Sam has Angelman Syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder and causes mobility issues, seizures, sleep problems, and loss of speech. Candy explains they have been running races together since Sam was a young child. Sam participates by using a race chair as an adaptive athlete and Candy pushes him. This is one of their favorite mother and son activities to do together and they have run over 30 marathons and half marathons as Team Smilin’ Sam. Before they head to Chicago, they will be running several local half marathons.

Candy loves to run with her son. She emphasizes running is a fantastic outlet for Sam and provides him with the opportunity to interact with the running community. He loves being included in these events, and other runners also appreciate having Sam on the course with them. Sam has a bright and fun personality, as his peers say he “lightens the room and if you are having a bad day, just come ‘talk’ to Sam.”

The Chicago Marathon will take place on October 12 this year. Sam and Candy will be travelling to Chicago with friends Xavier and his mom, Ginger. All four of them will be running! Xavier, who is on the Autism spectrum, became friends with Sam after they met on the school bus. Xavier is always practicing ways to find his voice and wrote letters to Sam over their summer breaks. Xavier loved to write about his interest in hockey and he would deliver the letters with his Mom. This is how Candy and Ginger discovered that they all shared a love for running. The four of them have been friends ever since! Xavier still lives (and runs) in Steamboat, and they all enjoy catching up on runs and at the local races.

Sam and Xavier, along with their families, hope to change the stereotypes of disability. Assumptions about disability can be very disheartening and damaging. Xavier wants to change that by showing the world that people with disabilities can do anything they set their minds to. Xavier is a talented runner who has participated in track and cross country at Steamboat Springs High School. He also holds state records! When his mother proposed they train for and run the Chicago Marathon together, they decided to make it even more meaningful by fundraising for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF). Xavier picked this organization because they raise awareness and support for his good friend, Sam. He loves running with Sam and wanted to show his community how he can support someone close to him.

For Candy and Sam, getting a spot in the Chicago Marathon proved to be more difficult than first expected. After qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2017, they were denied entry because Sam was not 18 years old. They went on to request entries into Chicago and Disney Marathons but were again told “no” due to Sams age. After 8 years of waiting, Sam was finally allowed to race at 17 years of age in this year’s Chicago Marathon. There will be around 45,000 runners, but only 10 Adaptive Duo Teams. Candy and Sam will finally race as one of those teams!

Sam, Xavier, Candy, and Ginger are all running with Windy City Angels, a group of runners with varying levels of experience representing ASF. The Angelman Syndrome Foundation is based in Chicago. Windy City Angels is a sister organization that works with their community and the Chicago Marathon to raise money for the foundation. Xavier is currently the top fundraiser and has raised over $7,000 for the organization.

Sam and Candy are continuing their fundraising efforts and have a goal of $5,000. Their page will be open until the race on October 12. If you would like to support them, please visit Smilin’ Sam’s team page. Both Candy and Sam are excited to participate and are grateful for the chance to run together with The Windy City Angels.

We wish all the luck to Sam, Xavier, Candy, and Ginger has they train and travel for the Chicago Marathon. We hope they have a fantastic race and raise their goals for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation.

Click the link here to donate to the Angelman Foundation and help Team Smilin’ Sam reach his goal.