The Walker Sisters

POCATELLO, Idaho- Angela Walker stood outside of security at the Pocatello Regional Airport waiting for her sister, Alex, to walk through the doors. It had been four months since they had last seen each other which seems like years when you have been together almost every day since you were two.
 
Alex finally walked through the door and the sisters embraced. Smiles were on their faces, tears in their eyes.  
 
The relationship the Walker sisters have is something special. They are best friends, stand-out tennis players for competing teams in the same conference, and each other's biggest fan on and off the court.
 
"I've always known a lot about what her life is like in Vancouver because obviously, I've been there through all of it," said Alex. "But when she moved to Idaho and started going to school there, she had a whole new experience, and it was cool to get to go see her there."
 
Angie and Alex have always been close as the only two children of Amy and Fabio Walker. Angie is two years older. According to their mother, they don't let little, petty things get between them.
 
"Angie just basically told Alex as a little girl, I'm going to love you unconditionally forever, no matter what, and she always has," said Amy. "She's been the best big sister, that I think is even possible."
 
Amy and Fabio met playing tennis at Texas Tech University and moved back to Canada where Fabio is originally from to raise their family. They both grew up playing tennis and a range of other sports.
 
Although tennis is in their blood according to Fabio, as parents they tried to get their children involved in as many sports as possible. This included basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, tee-ball, ringette, and many others.
 
"We gave them the opportunity to pretty much do whatever sport that they wanted to do, and tennis kind of stuck the whole way," said Fabio.
 
As children, both sisters remember hitting balloons around their house as soon as they were old enough to hold a racket. Tennis became a family sport where they could all be together, creating memories.
 
"It's a lot of pressure, to be 8, 9, 10 years old and be on a court all by yourself," said Amy. "It's really a growing experience but they also had the team sports too because we wanted the balance."
 
Both Angie and Alex fell in love with the game. In 2016, Angie left her family to come to Idaho State University and join the tennis team.
 
"Leaving my mom and my dad and my sister was one of the hardest things I've ever done," said Angie. "I was so upset, not to have my sister right there anymore."
 
Although it was a struggle being separated, Angie has grown and matured over the past five years at Idaho State according to her parents. They have noticed a shift in her confidence and admire the way she carries herself now.
 
Two years later, Alex joined the tennis team at a competing school in the Big Sky Conference, the University of Montana. 
 
The Walker sisters now have to compete against each other at least once every year. Getting to see one another at the match is fun but competing against each other isnot. They chose early on in their lives not to be competitive with tennis.
 
"Playing against her team is kind of horrible, to be honest," said Alex. "I will be playing my match and look over and get distracted watching her, hoping that she's doing well but then also cheering for my own team it's hard for sure."
 
Plenty of mixed emotions surface when the two teams face off. Luckily, both of their coaches understand their desire not to play each other head-to-head. In each match between the Bengals and Grizzlies the sisters' positions are staggered.
 
Their parents don't even watch the match ISU plays Montana. It's too difficult because they know the players so well on both teams. They wait to hear the final result of the match once it's over.
 
Despite their busy schedules as collegiate athletes and the distance between them the past five years, the two both expressed how easy it is to pick up right where they left off.
 
"From as young as I can remember she was the person that I wanted to hang out with the most. She was the person that was always there whenever I needed someone, it was always my sister that I would turn to," said Angie.
 
Together they try to bring out the best in each other.
 
"I think your sister should always be your best friend," said Alex. "It's a really important relationship to have, and I'm clearly so grateful."