Twin Titans: Katherine and Lauren Walkley

What’s it like to have a twin? Ask most twins and they’ll tell you the same thing:

“I don’t really know what it’s like to not have a twin…”

That’s what Katherine and Lauren Walkley of the South Kamloops Titans say, at least. There isn’t much to compare the feeling of having a twin to, considering they’ve always had each other.

The two have been playing ball since elementary school and share a deep connection both on-and-off the court.

“It’s really easy to push each other. Sometimes we did get frustrated with each other, though. Just because if I’m playing against someone who I’m not as close with, I’m not going to say how I feel if they’re making me mad or something. But if she’s making me mad, for example if she’s like not trying…or being lazy, then I’ll get mad at her for it,” Lauren laughed.

Aside from the minor frustrations that a sibling can sometimes make us feel, life just wouldn’t be the same without them—especially when it comes to playing on a team together.

“I think that it’s actually helped me a lot,” said Katherine on playing with her sister.

“It’s really nice to have someone the same skill level as you, you can always practice with, who you’re always with, and she pushes me really hard because we’re so comfortable.”

The ease of playing with each other transferred well onto the court, since both Walkley sisters helped bring a banner home to South Kamloops this past season. Given this would be the girls last year playing for the Titans, the championship win felt that much more gratifying.

“It felt rewarding after all these years since Grade 8 because we’ve never won a Provincial Championship at this school. Well, my team [hadn’t] won at this school. It was really cool for my last year to get the provincial win,” Katherine said.

Her sister agreed.

“Winning the final game is something you can’t really describe. I feel like you just have to be there and it has to happen to you for you to understand,” recalled Lauren. “I was happy for so long after.”

The two say their head coach Del Komarniski definitely inspired them and pushed them to be stars on the court, yet also became a friend off the court, as well.

“We have a really good relationship. He’s probably one of the best coaches that I’ve had,” said Katherine. “He made me the best player I could be this year.”

“He’s more of like a friend than really a teacher or a coach to me. We have a bunch of different relationships like as a teacher, as a friend, as a coach, but it’s nice having those relationships,” Lauren said about Coach K.

The two credit the entire coaching staff at South Kam and their fellow teammates for their success this past season.

“I’ve never had a team as close as this team has been,” said Lauren.

“We’re like family.”

And while the two have been playing together for most of their lives, they may go their separate ways after high school. Lauren recently committed to TRU; however, Katherine is still deciding where her basketball career will take her.

She says she might red-shirt for TRU or even play in a women’s league elsewhere.

Lauren is excited to join the WolfPack organization, but says she would miss her sister by her side. She’s hopeful they’ll have a chance to play together at the university level, though.

“I think it would be fun to play with her again and at a different level because all we’ve done is high school sports together. So it’d be cool to try a different type of competitiveness and commitment.”

Aside from ball, the two admire each other’s confidence and drive in all aspects of their lives.

Whether it be travelling together for ball, enduring another family vacation filled with, “Are we there yet?”, or simply being there for each other in whatever way they can, the Katherine and Lauren Walkley show us all what it’s like to have a twin.

And though they can’t really explain it to those who don’t share a twin themselves, they prove that it is truly special to be one just by admiring their inseparable bond.

“It’s like having a friend there all the time,” Katherine smiled at her sister.

Lauren nodded and smiled back.

“Having a twin is like always having someone there.”

Written by: Crystal Scuor

(Images via Facebook)