It is not often that siblings are gifted with the opportunity to play the sport of their choice together at any level. Famous sibling duos like Ronde and Tiki Barber, Venus and Serena Williams, and Devin and Jason McCourty headline the somewhat short list of athletes given this chance. Despite the odds, Coronado High School has their own brother – sister teammate duo.
Senior Jack Letcher and sophomore Gwynne Letcher both run cross-country for the Islanders, a sport they have been participants in for three and five years, respectively.
“It started as a hobby my friends and I picked up during Covid, when I was in 6th grade, as a way to stay sane,” Gwynne said. “And it developed into one of my favorite activities.”
As siblings and teammates, Jack and Gwynne said their bond has only been enhanced by miles of road work and competition. And, if some might see running long distances with a sibling as a steep hill to climb, the Letchers say it has come relatively easy.
“We communicate quite well, and the team is so tightly knit, we almost never have any issues. I do have to carry her xc (cross country) shoes every day, but that’s about the worst of it,” said Jack.
Although cross-country teammates are competing against themselves for the best time over the course of several miles, the siblings do not let this get in the way of their relationship.
“It’s really fun running with Jack because it doesn’t feel like I’m running with my brother but with my friend. We like to talk while on our runs and I think it has strengthened our bond over the past two years,” she said.
Jack also mentioned his appreciation for Gwynne’s ability to bring the team together.
“I really enjoy how she helps connect the team, and how we as siblings help raise up the new runners,” he said.
One example: “Gwynne started a recovery run tradition last year in which we sing on our long runs, anything from (Taylor Swift’s) ‘Shake It Off’ to ‘Hold the Line,’ by Toto. Now the whole team participates and joins in,” Jack said.
“I started singing ‘Jingle Bells’ one day while we were on a run and everyone thought it was a fun and good way to pass the time on the long runs so now people join in.” Gwynne added. “Whenever we run and sing, we joke we are the fastest choir in the nation!”
Neither Jack nor Gwynne have aspirations to compete at the intercollegiate level. While Jack is focused on becoming a Navy pilot, Gwynne said she does plan to keep running after high school.
“Not as a D1 athlete but as a club athlete,” she said. “I want to continue running for as long as I have working legs. In college, my friends and I plan on running marathons and triathlons, so we need to stay in shape and healthy to do that. So club (competition) is a perfect fit for us.”
But that’s years down the road. For now, the siblings will look to find success at the Mount Carmel Sundevil Invite at Morley Field on Sept. 21, one of the final meets before league play begins.
