CUUC Q and A with Becky and Helen Thompson ~ Stor
y b y Kevin Underhill ~
It’s not very often that twins compete against each other for a national title. Well, that’s exactly what happened on October 19 in Montreal, Quebec. And while only one sister walked away with a gold medal this time, both came away with a great experience. Becky and Helen Thompson actually have a long history of competing with and against each other. I recently had the chance to catch up with Becky and Helen to learn more about them and their experience.
Helen Thompson Vancouver, BC
20 Yrs
McGill University York House High
HT - Helen Becky Thompson
Vancouver, BC 20 Yrs
Lord Byng High Guelph University
BT - Becky
KU - Kevin Underhill (Interviewer)
KU: When did you decide to prioritize Ultimate as your primary sport?
HT: When I first came to McGill I played for the varsity field hockey team. The team was really intense, so there weren’t really any opportunities to keep playing Ultimate during the season. I missed it a lot, so I ended up quitting field hockey and now I prioritize Ultimate!
HT: It wasn’t really a factor at the time. I knew that McGill had a good team, but since I was set on playing field hockey I didn’t spend that much time looking at it.
BT: After suffering a lot of severe concussions, I was forced to stop playing soccer, which was initially my primary sport. When I went to the University of Guelph, I joined the Ultimate team and really fell in love with the community and the sport.
KU: Did you consider the Ultimate team at your university when deciding where to go?
BT: I chose the University of Guelph based on the program (International Development). I didn’t know much about the team coming into it, but it ended up working out very well for me!
KU: What made you two choose different universities?
HT: It’s nice to have our own lives and be independent from each other. I think it was the right decision, but I still miss her like crazy all the time!
BT: Helen went to university a year before me, and I chose to take a gap year instead to work and spend time in Ghana. In the end, the different schools offered us different programs that fit better for each of us.
KU: Do you like to guard each other during a game?
HT: I usually don’t like to guard Becky because she knows how to get in my head. Although, Becky tends to like to guard me so I can’t avoid it all the time. We definitely get very competitive when we mark each other… there tends to be a lot of intentional fouls.
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BT: Personally I really enjoy guarding Helen because I thrive on the opportunity to try to get in her head. However, given the choice, she usually chooses not to mark me. We definitely get very physical with each other.
Ultimate Canada Magazine -
www.canadianultimate.com
Championships
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