If Kirsten and Kris Schultz are cute today, just imagine how adorable they were as little girls, seeing who could make the most free throws in a row or drink the most glasses of milk or eat the most cereal. Kirsten and Kris are identical twins, so it’s probably no coincidence that these contests often ended in a tie. Both are ambidextrous, athletic, and love dogs. But they’re not so identical that you can’t tell them apart. Kirsten is 2 inches taller and has bluer eyes. Kris’ eyes are more greenish. She’s also the more enthusiastic pingpong player. “If there’s a pingpong table around, even if it’s old and warped, I’ll absolutely be playing,” she says. “It’s impossible to be in a bad mood playing pingpong.”
Kirsten wasn’t so sure about that. “Yeah, playing pingpong for 24 hours straight – that was definitely my sister’s idea,” she grumbled.
Eighteen hours into their pingpong-a-thon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Kirsten was feeling even less enthusiastic about the game. Starting and finishing at noon sharp, they had resolved that they would take a five-minute bathroom break every six hours. The third of these might have lasted a little longer, as Kirsten was off throwing up what little she’d eaten during the night. A little later, during a rally, she briefly fell asleep standing up. Still, they kept playing. “Around 7 in the morning, my right knee started hurting,” Kris herself admitted. “And my hip. And my neck. And my eyes have gotten fuzzy. And I’m having trouble forming complete sentences. Other than that, I’m feeling pretty good.” In fact, she often looked giddy – see figure 1.
But more often, lulled by the metronomic back and forth of the game, they had the zonked-out thousand-yard stare of a battle-weary soldier – see figure 2.
And toward the very end, when they couldn’t tell time, they looked like figure 3.
In 24 hours, they’d each hit some 64,000 shots, raising about $1,200 for their efforts (a few checks are in the mail they’re told). That works out to less than 1 cent per shot. There are, of course, easier ways to raise money for worthy causes, like what society women do, hosting swank parties. “I hadn’t thought of that,” Kris said. “I always think I have to do something if it’s a cause I care about. Besides, I don’t do well at those kinds of parties … unless there’s a pingpong table.”
Please write Mr. Hackett at playingthrough@austinchronicle.com.
This article appears in May 8 • 2009.