Olsen triplets tell all

Getting ready to wind down from a day at the summer camp, sophomore Caleb Olsen discovers a challenge when he goes back to find his belongings. One of his triplet siblings, sophomore Iain Olsen, relocated his clothes and bunk to the woods.

“It was really when I wanted to shower,” Caleb said. “I was [gross] from working all day.” According to Caleb, his brother had an accomplice to help hide his belongings.  This was added to the long list o f sibling pranks.

Sophomores Caleb, Mary, and Iain Olsen are triplets, born July 9, 1999.

To make sure there wasn’t any confusion of the date, Iain said that the date is “for all of us.”

However, Caleb thought that their birth date was apparent. “Wow, we’re triplets, thank you,” Caleb said.

These three siblings do not look alike, nor do they want to. They all recoiled at the thought of looking identical. “I like being me, I don’t want to be confused with him or her,” Caleb said.

According to the Olsens, they do not get along as well at home as they do in school. Of course there are a few times in public they clash. For example, Iain resents being triplets when his brother “embarrasses [him] in public.”

In addition, Caleb doesn’t like being the same age when “put into groups because [they] have the same last name, so [the three] are always together.” This was affirmed firmly with nods from both Mary and Iain.

Not to mention, according to the three of them, they don’t resemble each other enough to be thought of as triplets, so the Olsens are always bombarded with shocked reactions when informing others.

“That’s the most awful thing,” Caleb said. “After fifteen years it’s just like, ‘yeah, yeah we are.’”

The Olsens are also on the school’s cross country team this year. The previous year, Mary was a part of the play production. However, Mary joined track after she decided she didn’t want to continue with the play.

“I realized I don’t want to go to practice from 3:30-9:00 at night for a part that is on stage five times,” Mary said. “So I was like, I’m going to run.”

Caleb and Iain weren’t originally planning on joining cross country either.  According to Iain, “[they] tried out [for soccer] and got cut.”  In order to have a sport in the fall, Iain joined the cross country team.

“Caleb wasn’t going to run until coach [Mike Monaghan] made fun of him,” Iain said.

One day when Iain showed for practice and Caleb didn’t join him, Monaghan asked of his whereabouts, having heard Iain had a brother.  After being told that Caleb “didn’t feel like coming,” he replied that Caleb must be the weaker of the two, according to Iain. Suddenly the team added another member.

Their differences don’t stop at only their appearance.  Mary wants to be a veterinarian, Caleb an environmental scientist, and Iain an engineer.

According to Mary, “we’re triplets but it’s still like we’re our own selves.”

Elizabeth Driver is a Copy Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com