Rebecca and Anna Tankersley have grown up running together. They have trained together and pushed each other on both their high school and college teams.
The sisters have had the unique opportunity to compete in cross country from a young age together. When asked about how the pair got into running, the sisters were both quick to answer with how running is something that they do as a family.
“There is a total of 13 siblings, and we all pretty much run,” said Rebecca. “Running has been something our family has always done.”
Because of cross country, the two sisters have shared a strong connection that has only grown throughout their running careers. Whilst sitting in Modero, listening to the two sisters converse, it was so easy to recognize how much the two admire and respect each other.
The two of them attended Houston High School in the Memphis area. Rebecca and Anna were definitely iconic and gained a reputation of being the sisters that would compete alongside each other.
Rebecca Tankersley is a senior this year and is graduating in May with her nursing degree. She knew when she started running competitively that she would go to college for cross country, and she has spent her college career at Union on the cross country team living her dream.
“I was really opposed to coming to Union,” said Rebecca.”I really thought I wanted to go to a D1 school. It’s a God thing that I made it to Union.”
What drew Rebecca to Union’s cross country team was the aspect of the team being more like a family, and that mindset was made very clear from the beginning.
“In high school, the girls’ and guys’ cross country teams did not get along,” said Rebecca. “It was always a competition. At Union, I haven’t experienced that. Yes, we compete against one another, but we are encouraging above all else and really do love and treat each other like family.”
Rebecca going to college had a very large impact on Anna.
“I was happy she was able to experience college and further her career, but I felt like no one had my back anymore,” said Anna.
Having to run her last two years of high school without her sister Rebecca, Anna was determined to work hard and push herself. Anna’s hard work paid off when she was given the opportunity to run with her sister again but on the collegiate level.
I could feel the excitement from the sisters when they talked about getting to compete together again. It was evident that Rebecca and Anna were very grateful to be able to do what they loved most.
“Getting the chance to run cross country together again was so exciting!” Rebecca said. “It was like old times again.”
Anna followed her sister to Union because she, too, felt like the environment and bond the Union cross country team had was special. Anna is now a sophomore at Union and is studying elementary education.
“I would come to stay with Rebecca and be around the team,” Anna said. “I loved the coach too, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
I know nothing about cross country, but the Tankersleys were kind enough to shed some light onto what it means to be a runner in “cross country culture.” They explained to me that it is a giant community that works together to reach goals and again, they talked about being a family.
The Tankersleys both showed genuine respect for their coach Gary Johnson. They explained how he helps to create a family atmosphere during practice that bleeds over into life outside of cross county. Johnson takes pride in his team having a family bond.
“What we really love about Coach Johnson is that he doesn’t recruit people based on merely their athletic abilities,” Anna said. “He values his athletes for more than just their running talent; he values their character and what they bring to the team culture, which is something that is really unique to our team. A lot of people notice and remark on our team culture and the friendships we have with each other.”
Johnson discussed the impact of having family members on the same team.
“Having sisters on the team has become quite a tradition for us over the past 10 years,” said Johnson. “The family bond we try to build within the team is accelerated when some of the members are actually family.”
With Rebecca graduating in May, I asked her if she was worried about leaving Anna behind.
“I am not worried about her because I am leaving her in good hands,” Rebecca said as she almost laughed at the idea of being worried.
Anna reiterated the fact that she would be fine without her sister being there. Of course they were sad about a chapter closing, but they are also excited for the other to start out on a new path.
“Of course it won’t be the same without Rebecca, but I have my roommates, who are also my teammates,” said Anna. “They have become my sisters.”
It is so clear that cross country means more to Anna and Rebecca than just being on a team. It means building a community that is accepting and loving at all times.