Sandy was born in Springfield, MO. Her father is retired from the Missouri State Highway Patrol as a sergeant and her mother is a retired school teacher of children with special needs. She had an older sister, Donna, and younger brother, Michael, both with special needs, who are deceased. Her parents are divorced.
Some of her fondest memories as a child is her love of nature, which she owes to her father. He was a skilled hunter and avid fisherman who traveled the U.S. and Canada for the sport, from hunting pheasants and quail out West, to fishing for walleye and pike in northern Canada. He would often take the family camping in the woods or to the river or lake. "My dad was bigger than life to me. He was an excellent outdoors man. I was in awe of all he could do. He worked in law enforcement, but was at home in nature." The outdoors was a huge part of their lives, and Sandy has never lost her appreciation and love for the outdoors. "Nature is still my favorite place to be. It feeds my soul.".
