Singing along to 20 second intervals of each song before becoming sick of them, identical twins Ashley and Lindsey Ryder felt as close as they ever have with the radio blasting while driving home from ASU.
The Ryder sisters have disagreed through the years, but during their time at ASU, they have channeled their sibling rivalry into motivation and have found their true sisterhood.
Only one minute separated Ashley and Lindsey at birth. You could reckon their bond to be as close as their birth time, but the sisters have dealt with sibling rivalry their entire lives.
Ashley holds her “big sister” status over Lindsey’s head, even if it is just one minute.
Their mother, Monnie Ryder, saw the rivalry take shape early on and remembers the beginning of it.
Monnie said that when her daughters were little, they would jump on their trampoline. Lindsey had a goal of landing a front flip and attempt after attempt, she would get that much closer to completing it. Eventually, she was successful.
Ashley then got on the trampoline and did it in one try.
“They were always competitive,” Monnie said. “They have always jockeyed back and forward intellectually as well as physically.”
As time passed, nothing changed. In high school they competed against each other in sports and classes. Athletically, they were involved in soccer, track and field, swimming and marching band.
However, swimming defined the competition between the two.
Monnie saw the rivalry spark from the trampoline and grow into the pool. She said she knew it would be a difficult ride home if one lost. Unfortunately for her, both of them swam in the same race: the 100-meter butterfly.
They both would place first and second in the event. Ashley would get the latter most times.
“I always wanted to beat her,” Ashley said
One time, she did. Ashley admitted her sister would usually get the best of her during those races, beating her by “no more than a second.” But, Ashley also remembers how fun it was when she beat her sister by a half-second
Lindsey, on the other hand, felt differently.
“After she beat me at my race, there was no end,” Lindsey said. “I had to get faster to reclaim my race.”
Now, both juniors at ASU, Lindsey still races. She doesn’t swim, but she is a cyclist in ASU’s cycling and triathlon club. Ashley primarily focuses on her studies. Lindsey is on the Tempe campus while Ashley is in downtown Phoenix.
“We definitely became two separate people,” Ashley said. “I’d say the transition to college was most helpful in our identity.”
Ashley remembers first coming to ASU. Whenever she was referring to herself, she said she would often use the word “we.”
“I always look to please her,” she said. “Without a doubt, Lindsey has made me a better person.”
Ashley said people would always get confused and tell her that she is her own person.
Now, she thinks so too.
Monnie sees the impact ASU has had on her daughters. Yes, they’re still competitive, but now both use their sibling rivalry as a motivator for each other. Lindsey said her successes stems from her sister. Ashley agrees.
“ASU is big enough for the two of them,” Monnie said. “They were with each other 24/7, that’s not ideal. They’ve become so much better and as a mother, it touches my heart. They’re right where any parent would ever dream of them being.”
Amidst their busy schedules, they always try to find time to spend together. This is where their competition becomes a motivational tool.
In December, Ashley had competed in the Anthem Holiday Classic Triathlon, where she placed third for her age group and 20th overall.
Not only did Ashley use her sister’s old cycling bicycle, but they trained together when they could. Ashley wanted to make her sister proud.
“I think (Lindsey) was really proud,” Ashley said. “She was convinced.”
Lindsey was convinced that after the race her sister was going to join the cycling and triathlon club. Ashley seemed to be following a similar path since the previous year’s Anthem Holiday Classic was Lindsey’s first triathlon.
However, Ashley said it wasn’t “her.” She has something else in mind.
“Water skiing,” she said. “I’ve always thought about water skiing.”
Ashley said the feeling of gliding through the water is amazing. She has become more involved in the sport and spent last summer water skiing at Lake Pleasant. Now, she is looking at ASU’s water skiing club.
“She’s incredible,” Monnie said. “I think (the club) would be really good for her. She’s anxious to hit the skis.”
Monnie said dinner table conversations have changed since college. The conversations used to escalate into arguments of who did better in what.
Now, the two sisters talk about the different opportunities they have both taken advantage of. The two of them have broadened their horizons.
So, as the two sisters returned to their home in Peoria for the summer, they blasted their music and sang along the entire ride home.
In between those 20-second intervals, they talked about their lives and about the individuals they have become.
Reach the reporter at bcapria@asu.edu
