When it comes to sports, sisters Karter (15) and Mackenzie (17) may not play on the same field, but they share the same drive. Karter, a swimmer and field hockey player, and Mackenzie, a soccer player, have both found success in their own way, even if their journeys look completely different.
For Karter, the water has always felt like home. After trying everything from basketball to ice-skating when she was little, she finally landed on swimming in second grade. “I always enjoyed b
eing in the water, and that’s when I realized swimming was for me,” she said. Years later, she remembers the first time she felt like she was good at her sport: placing on the podium during her junior high championships.
Field hockey is a newer loved one, as she only started last year when a friend convinced her to try out. “I can say that I’m glad she did,” Karter said, recalling the excitement of scoring her first big goal in the game against Peter’s Township.
Mackenzie’s story is different, but still rooted in family. She never thought much about soccer until she watched her sister play. “Honestly, I never wanted to play soccer until I saw Karter playing,” she said. “While watching her, I fell in love with the game and knew that it was for me.” Since then, soccer has become her passion, and she’s already thinking about continuing it at the college level. “The first time I realized I was good at my sport was when I started to get recognition for how I played coming into high school,” she said.
Their paths may be different, but their support for each other is constant. Both sisters admit it can be tricky to keep up with one another’s sports, different rules, different schedules, different skills, but they also see it as a gift. “It’s nice to see a different perspective on being an athlete in a different sport,” Karter said. “I enjoy going to Mackenzie’s games and watching her play, even though we are completely different.” Mackenzie agrees, calling it both “complicated and refreshing.”
Family has been at the center of their athletic lives. From rides to practice to cheering in the stands, their parents make sure both girls feel supported. “They encourage me to put 110% during every game and every meet,” Karter said.
Mackenzie added, “They also support us mentally by having full confidence in us to perform the best we can.”
The sisters admire each other as much as they challenge each other. Karter says she looks up to Mackenzie’s determination: “She always gives her all and never backs down when something bad is happening to her. She always goes after what she wants.”
Mackenzie feels the same: “I love the way that Karter is always willing to go after what she wants and work hard at all times. She deserves all that she has and will achieve in her athletic career.”
For now, both girls are focused on competing, supporting each other, and enjoying the sports that make them who they are. And while their futures may not look identical, one thing is certai–no matter the sport, their family bond will always be the foundation of both girls’ success.
