Every morning cross country coach David Park sees the face of twin  juniors Macky and Gunnar Dailey for practice at 5:45.

“I’m thrilled that they do cross country,” Park said. “They always seem in a good mood.”

Park shares the Daileys with softball, baseball, basketball, football and track.

“I think it’s great our school gives students the privilege to participate in multiple sports and I’m happy to work with them to make it happen,” Park said.

Every morning Macky wakes up at 4:30 to make it to cross country workout by 5:45.

“It takes determination,” Macky said, “and dedication.”

On a Decatur team since seventh grade, Macky ran on varsity freshman year.

“In ninth grade I was a state champion,” she said.

Macky also participates in basketball and softball.

“I played basketball in middle school and ninth grade. And then I am doing it again this year,” she said.

Macky describes basketball as her challenging sport.

“You have to remember plays and then you have to work on the plays a lot,” Macky said.

After cross country practice she gets ready for school and goes to all her classes until the eighth period bell rings.

“I have athletics eighth period and that’s when I practice basketball,” she said.

After practice ends, she goes home and starts homework.

“I try to get as much homework done as possible, I have Ms. Powell for AP,” Macky said. “Then sometimes I go to work at Sweetie Pies and other days I go to fall ball softball practice at 6:30pm.”

Her third sport, softball, also takes practice and time. She describes this sport as commitment.

“You work on basics all the time because if you lose the basics you can not really do anything,” she said.

Macky made it to playoffs her sophomore year in softball. Her younger years consisted of t-ball and baseball with her brother.

“I used to be on my brother’s pewee teams. So, I’ve played pretty much my whole life,” Macky said.

Playing three sports, the last event on Macky’s daily agenda includes sleep.

“I’m so busy all the time and I have to catch up on chores, work, homework, go to church, and other stuff,” she said. “This past week two nights combined I got seven hours of sleep.”

On average Macky gets to bed around 2:00 in the morning. Her overall goal in the three sports includes keeping up and improving.

“I want to become a better player and runner in all of them,” she said.

Macky’s brother Gunnar also participates in sports: football, baseball, cross country and track.

Waking up at 5:15 every morning for cross country practice Gunnar describes this sport as pain.

“Running six to eight miles everyday is painful,” he said.

Participating in cross country for three years now, he hopes to make it to state for the second year in a row.

“My favorite part of the race is the sprint at the end,” Gunnar said.

Playing football for six years, Gunnar is wide receiver on varsity.

“My favorite part of the game is fourth quarter because either we’re winning and we know we got it, or we’re losing and we know we have to get going,” Dailey said.

Getting done with football practice around 6:30, going home, then finishing homework, Gunnar goes to bed around 11:00.

“[Participating in multiple sports, my weakness] is not getting enough energy throughout the school day,” Gunnar said.

For more than ten years Gunnar participates in baseball. His position includes second and third base.

“Just hanging out with my friends makes the sport fun,” he said.

On the track team for four years, every meet inspires him.

“I get real excited and nervous before a race,” he said, “and I hope to improve my times this year.”

At the end of the day, the Daileys finally get to bed and set their alarm for 4:45 and 5:15 to start another day tomorrow.

“Believe it or not they get along better than most,” Park said. “They aren’t going to say it but they like each other and look out for each other.”