When Lexi Rohner took her first steps on the Rockefeller Center ice at age 10, she was captivated. She was enchanted.

"It's something that just connected inside me," Lexi recalls. She would go on to compete for 17 years despite having a leg length imbalance and hip dysplasia her entire life. She also coached for nearly 25 years.

But little did she know 30 years after her Rockefeller Center experience that 'connection' she felt would play a huge role in helping Lexi, her husband Preston, and their triplets — Cole, Genevieve and Chase — successfully navigate severe physical and emotional challenges that began the day the triplets were born prematurely by a trimester.

"It took us five years to have them, and they almost didn't live," Lexi says. "Chase almost died before I was out of anesthesia. And he was so fragile we couldn't talk next to him for the first week. So, for me and Preston, the bar was very low. They lived."

Lexi put the triplets on the ice at age 2 as a therapeutic activity. Now all three are thriving as competitive athletes.

But the 18-year journeys have been long and challenging.

Cole had a major stroke at birth which led to 13 brain surgeries, three double-eye surgeries, and seven orthopedic surgeries. He has 17 total diagnoses, including autism and hemiplegia, a form of unilateral cerebral palsy, but none of that has stopped him from moving forward.

A member of the local Special Olympics team in the family's Park City, Utah, home, Cole has won four gold medals in national adaptive ice-skating competitions. He says seeing and hearing audience reactions when he skates motivates him.

"It energizes me to continue to perform, and to do better than I previously have," he says.

A natural performer, Cole has been a Shriners Hospital for Children patient ambassador for nine years. He wants to be a public speaker and compete nationally in Special Olympics DanceSport. His brother Chase says Cole inspires him. The feeling is mutual.

"I've always watched [Chase's] performances, and it's incredible to see what he has accomplished over the years," Cole says.

Since experiencing severe breathing complications after birth, Chase has become one of the top junior ice dancers in the U.S. At the 2025 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Riga, Latvia, Chase and his partner Jasmine Robertson captured bronze medals. They also won the junior silver medal at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

"I've always enjoyed competitions," Chase explains. "I get a lot of energy from that."

After singles skating for several years, Chase switched to ice dance at age 10. He says he enjoys the technical side of ice dance, and the added element of having a partner on the ice is a challenge he relishes. Trust, he says, is critical.

"I don't think partnerships can effectively function without it," Chase says. "It's important to have trust as a foundation and then you can build everything else on top."

Genevieve has carved a different path in athletic competition. Among other maladies she has sensory integration disorder that traditional therapies did little to improve. At age 5 she started hippotherapy — a medical treatment that uses a horse's natural, rhythmic movements to improve physical, occupational and speech therapy outcomes — and her life changed.

"They're such gentle giants," Genevieve explains. "Being on or around horses tends to distract me from my sensory processing issues and calms me."

Genevieve officially classified as a para dressage grade IV competitor at 9-years old, making her the youngest U.S. classified para dressage competitor. She won her first national open championship at age 12, and in 2022 became the youngest globally classified para-equestrian with her international debut.

"It's something that just comes naturally to me," Genevieve says. "When I first started riding, they put me on a bunch of different horses. And when you ride different horses, you gain more skills, more tools to add to your toolbox."

As with her brothers, Genevieve credits her family with providing a support system that has helped her overcome the obstacles she's faced.

"My parents have so much wisdom to offer, and they've guided me very well," she says. "I've tried to have a lot of personal growth given what I've been through and always try to improve my mindset."

Along those lines, Preston says he and Lexi have tried to provide the triplets with the foundation on which they can build their own futures; a platform where they can figure out who they are and how they want to grow.

"Sometimes that means driving them to the rink at 5 a.m. (before they got their driver's licenses), or to the barn. Or getting dressed up for a fundraising event at Shriner's because Cole will be speaking there. However, they're growing," he says, "we're there as part of it."

Lexi says the only rule she and Preston had with the triplets was participation in a sport. It didn't matter if they competed at a high level or not. Just that they participate.

"We felt with sports they'd get everything they need," she says. "They'll be active. Learn self-discipline and goal setting. And be around other people pursuing healthy lifestyles, supportively. And today, we're extremely proud of them."