Twins on the Run

By Nate Fisher

I’d like you to imagine two vibrant colors swirling in a kaleidoscope. The two colors create a mesmerizing pattern, sharp fragments, and harmonious and distinct angles. This illustration captures the inner lives of sixth graders Brooke and Landon Gentry, who are fraternal twins. Despite being born together and sharing that special bond, these two have blossomed into their own remarkable personalities.

Brooke

“Every day after school, we have practice and then we have a lesson,” Brooke tells us. “At the end, we have a big run.” The activity she describes is her participation in Strong Girls United, a foundation dedicated to empowering young girls through the transformative power of physical activity. Through programs and activities like team sports, dance, and fitness classes, young girls are encouraged to explore their physical abilities, build healthy habits, and develop strong mental fortitude. For Brooke, this means she can “run and encourage people,” which is among her favorite things to do. “You get to help people even if they don’t think they can do it,” she elaborates.

Helping people even when they don’t believe in themselves will likely become a theme in Brooke’s life. She plans to become a nurse. “I like helping people,” she says. Inspired by her mom’s career as a nurse, she always cheers people on and encourages those who need it the most. The thing is, Brooke is the kind of person who would use one wish granted to ask for her family to stay close. She understands the value of home and any place that organically encourages one another to do better with each rising sun.

These facts aren’t surprising when you consider her perspective on community: “I feel like we’re all close and we try to help people out if they need help.”

Landon

“We run, but the boys go Monday and Wednesday,” Landon says, informing us that Strong Boys United, the boys’ chapter of his sister’s group, meets on separate days from the girls. His favorite part of running for the sake of encouragement is at the end when everyone excitedly announces words of motivation to the other students around them. “We stand at the end and we tell them that they can do it,” he says. While he enjoys every opportunity to try and “run farther” and gain personal achievements, he appears to hint at a tendency to inspire others by excelling on his own.

He takes his responsibility as a flag keeper seriously. After he offers us a description of the different ways to fold the school flags, he clues us in on another technical fascination of his. “I want to become an engineer because I like to build things,” he says. When he stumbled on a creek near his property that needed a bridge, Landon gladly accepted the challenge and slapped some timber together until his family could cross the water safely.

He’s also an engineer of friendships, as he enjoys assisting his friends with their projects when they partner together in class. Similar to Brooke, he’d use one wish to create a connection with his friends so they’d more or less stay in contact forever. “I’d use it for my friends, like when we get older,” he explains, “that we’d always be in contact and be able to see each other and stuff. Like they wouldn’t move so far away….”

Brooke/Landon

They can’t think of any significant differences between them. Food? They’re on the same page. Organization? They prefer to tidy up. Personality type? Dare we call them “encouragers?” By championing the power of physical activity, these two are prime candidates to shape a generation of fearless and confident young folks ready to conquer the world and redefine societal expectations.

The continuing journey of these twins sheds light on the extraordinary interplay between their shared bond and distinct personalities. Though their status as twins creates an undeniable connection and allows them to share similar motivations and a desire to help others, their individuality brings depth and color to their narrative. Brooke and Landon’s unique blend of unity and divergence should serve as a reminder that while genetics play a significant role in shaping us, our personal experiences and choices ultimately define who we are.