Although the names on the caps can be quite confusing, Braxton and Reid Frederick are unique in their own ways. Freshman twins Braxton and Reid both swim for Lincoln East and their club team Lincoln Select Swimming (LSS). They have many similarities but are completely different.

Many believe that the Fredericks are identical from how they look but they are fraternal. When twins are fraternal they develop in two different eggs while identical twins develop in one egg. Fraternal twins do not share the same DNA as identical twins do but it is likely that fraternal twins can look extremely similar.

“Many people believe that we are identical,” Reid Frederick said. “They would stand on that hill and die on that hill, but no we are not identical.”

Both boys have constantly gotten mixed up. There are different ways that people tell the twins apart. Reid has a scar at the bridge of his nose while Braxton does not. When Reid was almost two, he hit his head on a granite countertop.

“I’m taller and naturally bigger than Reid,” Braxton said.

Just like other siblings do, Braxton and Reid too, get into small arguments or fights. But they also work as a team, building off of each other and chiming in.

The twins have been swimming on LSS for the last five years and this is their first year on the East swim team. Reid can swim all four strokes: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle. Braxton swims Butterfly and Freestyle more often than the other two.

“Our parents were wanting us to know how to swim in general in case of an emergency,” Reid said. “We start getting good at it. Our recreation team coaches recommended us for a club team and now we are swimming in high school.”

As their high school swim season is coming to an end, Reid has seen improvement with dropping time and getting some personal best. Braxton is proud of the season but knows he can do better at the end, it has just been tough. There can be some competition built into being siblings and especially twins.

“I feel like I am always competing with Reid and with me doing so, I hold myself to high expectations,” Braxton said.

As the twins have grown, they become their own people with many things in common still. The new change of coming from middle school to high school has been an easy switch in pace while also being school athletes.