Going the Distance ... Kasey Tippets

What do you do when you follow a successful older sibling? That's the dilemma a lot of kids have to face their whole lives, putting up with comments from teachers like, "oh, you're so-and-so's sister"  or "your brother was a great athlete" or "why can't you be more like your sister?"  Ok, maybe the last question doesn't get voiced very often, but I think you get my drift. Being the next in line isn't always what it may seem. 

Kasey Tippets had the task of following in Kelsi's footsteps, and despite Kelsi's diminutive size, she left big prints. Her cross country career was one that littered the record books.  For many, following such an example would cause them to find an even darker shadow to hide in, not wanting to be compared. For others, the best option is to go competely the opposite -- where "big brother" found success, "little brother" finds rebellion or apathy.

Kasey found the middle road and has smiled the whole way through. She was never driven to match her big sister's athletic accomplishments ... being a contributing member of the pack was more to her liking than leading the pack.  Kasey has cheerfully divided her time between running and soccer.  Her marks have been good enough to earn her a varsity letter each of the previous three seasons.  Through it all, she's kept her sense of humor, never taking herself too seriously, always one to quickly crack a joke or play a prank. We could always count on Kasey keeping things light and loose.  Whether it was at the race course or colliding with fire hydrants and tripping over cracks in the sidewalks in practice, laughter accompanied her almost every mile of the way.

Kasey will graduate having gone all four years, just like her big sis'.  But that's where the comparison ends.  She never tried to mimic or match her big sister, she just cheerfully went her own direction, making the path uniquely and successfully hers. 

Given the option many of the younger siblings in sports take, this one wasn't bad.