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| (left to right) Triplets Lisa Kelly, Laura Steadman, and Linda Leavell pose with Harlee Rose, a puppy they treated after she was hit by a car. The sisters all graduated from UGA with undergraduate degrees in biochemistry; Laura and Linda also earned degrees at UGA’s vet school, where Lisa is currently a student. The three also compete as triathletes. |
Linda Leavell and Lisa Kelly have never been tempted to try skydiving. That’s because their sister, Laura Steadman, has already done it.
“Laura tried skydiving and didn’t like it,” Linda says. “She described her whole day to Lisa and me and we decided we didn’t want to try it because we felt we’d already done it.”
Not all siblings would make that decision based on a secondhand account, but the sisters are not just close—they’re identical triplets.
And they share more than DNA. As undergraduates, the triplets majored in biochemistry, graduating in 1993. Linda and Laura went on to UGA’s School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating summa cum laude in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Lisa currently is in the vet school’s Class of 2008.
“We competed academically, but it was friendly competition,” Laura says.
Linda agrees: “We challenged each other and set high standards for one another.”
The trio attributes their academic success to their parents. Their mother is a nurse and their father a research chemist, so they grew up in the worlds of science and medicine. “Our parents taught us that academics were important,” Laura says. “They told us ‘If you do well in school, you get to choose what you want in life.’”
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| Lisa Kelly (BS ’93), a UGA vet student, walks Donovan to the barn for a grooming session at Inyazura Farms. Lisa is married to Ed Kelly (BS ’92). |
Linda became a vet instead of a researcher because she wanted to be able to solve problems quickly. “I can cure a sick animal,” she says. “But I don’t have the patience to wait months or years to solve an ecological problem.”
Laura, who began doctoral studies in behavioral ecology at the University of North Carolina, agrees, but Lisa, who earned a Ph.D. in biology at Georgia Tech, wants to combine clinical work with lab research and possibly teaching.
Although their graduate school and professional experiences diverged, the triplets still share more similarities than differences. “We are all interested in science and technology and are not very political,” Laura says. Linda adds, “We have similar tastes in music and similar culinary tastes.”
The one experience they haven’t shared is motherhood. “Kids are the biggest difference now,” says Linda, who works at Mars Hill Animal Hospital. “I have two (Simon, 4, and Hannah, 1) and the others don’t yet. I hope they’ll have kids, so we’ll be back on the same page again.”
Like all siblings, the triplets have some personality differences. “One might get a little more stressed over something than the others,” says Laura, who works at Shoal Creek Animal Clinic. “I’m the unmarried one of the bunch, so I have a more active social life. But we’re all in the same book club.”
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| (above) Laura Steadman (BS ’93, DVM ’01) (left) examines Honk Tang, a client at Shoal Creek Animal Clinic. Laura Beck (at right), a UGA senior studying microbiology, |
Occasionally, being a multiple has a downside. “We may be too critical or hard on one another,” Linda says. “We even feel each other’s stress.”
Misidentification in public has presented some awkward social encounters. With three different sets of friends, plus Linda’s and Laura’s veterinary clients, it can be confusing when they’re approached by someone who recognizes them.
“If someone comes up and gives us a hug and we have no idea who they are, we worry about seeming dense or rude,” Laura says.
Childhood memories can also be confusing because they are more shared than individualized. “Our memories are fused together,” Linda says. “We know something happened to one of us, but can’t remember which one.” Their mother adjudicates such disputes. “Mom always knows,” Laura says.
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| Linda Leavell (BS '93, MS '95, DVM '00), a veterinarian at Mars Hill Animal Clinic, poses at home with daughter Hannah, 1, and golden retriever Ozzie. Linda and her husband, Glenn Leavell (BS '90) also have a son, Simon, 4. |
It’s no coincidence the sisters all live in Athens. “I feel complete when we’re all in the same town,” Linda says.
“We’re often asked if we plan to all work together professionally and my answer is we already are,” Linda says. “I consult with Laura when I have a difficult case and the three of us recently did surgery on a puppy together. That was a lot of fun.”
“We’re a great team,” Lisa adds. “The communication between us is superb.”
To honor their special bond, they’ve taken triplets-only vacations twice a year for the last 12 years—usually a ski trip in the winter and a bird-watching excursion in the spring.
“It’s easy to agree on a schedule since we have overlapping interests,” Lisa says. “They are the most wonderful traveling companions, even when we have an odd itinerary, such as running a marathon and bird-watching.”
We share a great deal but are three unique individuals.”
