#psuwashington

ALEXANDER WASHINGTON

☆ FULL NAME: Alexander Barcelona Washington ☆ GENDER: Cisman ☆ PRONOUNS: He/Him ☆ AGE: 31 (July 20th, 1993) ☆ TYPE: Adopted sibling; solo ☆ HOMETOWN: Miami, Florida ☆ JOB: Professional Tennis Player; interim PSU Guest Lecturer in the Sports department ☆ SCHOOL: PSU Alumni ☆ SEXUALITY: Bisexual ☆ FACECLAIM: Ncuti Gatwa

ABOUT ALEXANDER

Alex was promised from birth that swimming would come naturally to him. Yet in spite of his best efforts, he hated it. He never got passed basic swimming lessons and even developed a fear of water after his mother tossed him into the pool one too many times growing up. It didn’t help that they had a big swimming pool at home and his mother liked to use the element of surprise when doing a dunking under the guise of “character building”. This difference of opinion towards his mother’s passion put a strain on their relationship.

Despite his hatred towards swimming, Alex tried a lot of other sports growing up to gain his mothers approval. As the first child in the family there was a lot of expectation on him to succeed, to carry on his mother’s legacy. With swimming clearly not an option he found other ways to progress. Soccer and track to name a few. He not only enjoyed these sports but often excelled in them. This, however, was of no interest to his mother who was adamant that swimming was the ultimate sport, and no other discipline was quite as demanding.

Alex continued to push himself, seeking his mother’s approval in every discipline. He excelled in academics, being a straight A student, became class president and learned to play the piano. Every A or trophy he brought home and presented to his mother was ignored and achievement lessened as she would relate the experience to her swimming days. Any mistake or second place result his mother would turn into a teaching moment and refer to a page from her motivational courses. It didn’t help that his mother’s nickname for her children related to the medal they were adopted in memory of, so Alex was often referred to as either Bronze or Barcelona and he was often reminded that bronze wasn’t best.

It wasn’t until he found tennis that he finally felt he found a skill he excelled in and enjoyed that brought a positive community and competitiveness that he hadn’t found anywhere else. Since finding this passion it’s all he followed. He found something he was good at that he could lose himself in and excel in. It gave him a drive, pushed him to his limits and tested his physical and mental strength. He continued from strength to strength through the ranks of he tennis world to become a professional singles player. While he doesn’t mind taking part in doubles events, singles is what he truly loves. The tension of just him and his competitor on the court. With only one ball, his mindset, skill and wits to get him through. Those accomplishments mean the most to him. He found a place he found love. Love of the sport, himself but also the love of others for his athleticism. He found he didn’t need his mother’s approval in the same way because he knows throughout the sweat and determination he puts in how much he has earned those wins. His coach became like a parent to him during his early days when his mother feigned disinterest.

Tennis also gave Alex his own identity. Always being Roz’s son was always as a reminder of his mother’s accomplishments, which brought a lot of expectations from those he met and now he was carving his own identity in the world. However upon finding tennis his mother constantly refused to acknowledge it as a proper sport, always downplaying Alex’s achievements to the medals she achieved and displaying her distain for the sport. That drive for his mother’s approval pushed him to grand slam finals and eventually gaining his first win at Wimbledon.

Lifting that trophy into the air and climbing the stadium to his family seats he looked his mother in the eye after his victory only to receive a nod in response. Wasn’t this win enough?

So he pushed himself further and a year later it was at Roland Garros at the French open. Again as he lifted the trophy he looked beyond the cameras but his mother was not in the stands clearly leaving before the end. So he aimed for the greatest american tennis prize, the US Open. In that same season he pushed himself further and got to the US final. It was a really close match and Alex focused on this win being the one that would finally be the one. The one his mother would turn round and acknowledge his achievement. Acknowledge that he could do it. That she approved of him and his choices. That he wasn’t a disappointment and had done something with is life. That she loved him. It was a gruelling and incredibly close match and Alex pushed everything to match point, but that’s when he took a nasty fall and broke his wrist. Not only was he forced to withdraw from the final but his season was over. With extensive recovery ahead. His last memory of that moment was watching his mother slip away while he was rushed to the hospital.

Now Alex is in a state of recovery. He hopes to one day get back onto the court professionally. He believes if he can take home a US trophy or maybe even an Olympic gold that might be the key to his mothers heart. Alex is taking time for recovery by moving to LA, taking time to chill by the beach and get healthy. He’s also using his time as a guest lecturer at PSU the college that supported him alongside his career and is supporting their sports programme. He’s setting up a tennis academy to help the sport reach more communities especially children who don’t get the same opportunities to try tennis.

Alex can be a bit too career focused at times. His goal to approve his mother being a driving force in his life. This can cause him to have blinders on when it comes to other people, but he is putting himself out there. Alex has gained a reputation as being the eccentric one the tennis circuit. He loves to try new things and relax by playing board games, the piano. Outside of tennis he’s hoping to take this time to find someone special in his life.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

Roz Washington wants only one thing in life, greatness. As her father taught her “If at first you don’t succeed, pack your bags.” It’s the mantra that has motivated her throughout her life. When she fell into swimming at an early age she found a talent that she would harness and win. Since winning her first medal in the junior events it’s a feeling she chases in every aspect of her life. Although she began her career in lane swimming she soon found her competitiveness and need for her father’s approval turned sour in the pool and she took her anger out on her competitors. An event she would rather soon forget especially when she tried to drown poor Beatrice Singh from France at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Cue her redemption ark in the four years leading up to Barcelona 1992 where she found her true calling in Individual synchronised swimming, winning a bronze medal. She always revels in the glory days of her competitive career and comeback that she has found unique ways to commemorate her achievements. The primary one being a child for every medal she has won. She has a number of adoptive children because who can lose valuable time training for gold. She can often be seen adorning one of her medals with every outfit she wears and don’t ask her to share experiences of the Olympics or you might just hear about the time she had a threesome with Michael Phelps.

OLIVIA WASHINGTON

☆ FULL NAME: Olivia Octopush Washington ☆ GENDER: Ciswoman ☆ PRONOUNS: She/Her ☆ AGE: 30 (March 10th, 1994) ☆ TYPE: Adopted sibling; solo (open to twin) ☆ HOMETOWN: Miami, Florida ☆ JOB: Professor of Screenwriting and Film Studies at PSU;  part-time voice actor/staff writer ☆ SCHOOL: PSU Alumni ☆ SEXUALITY: Lesbian ☆ FACECLAIM: Elizabeth Lail

ABOUT OLIVIA

(tw stalking, attempted kidnapping, attempted murder)

Olivia “Liv” Washington was adopted alongside another sibling after Roz won two Olympic medals at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. As the oldest of the two, Liv’s middle name was given to her for the first event that Roz won her medal for that year: a silver medal for octopush, where she was the entire USA team. She was adopted at two years old and learnt pretty quickly how important sports were to their new mom. However, much to Roz’s chagrin, Liv had absolutely zero interest in any of the sports Roz tried to get her involved with, far more comfortable with her notepads or sketchbooks, often found at her sibling’s games with one of them balanced on her lap and her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth.

Roz’s disappointment in her more artsy choices was palpable and made their relationship very tense as a result, Liv hating that the mother that had picked her seemed to think she was a failure just because she didn’t want to get into sports. Still, Roz’s objections aside, Liv continued her creative pursuits and found that she loved both drama and writing equally, soon setting her sights on being able to pursue both in her future career. She starred in several school productions, including a raved about run as Viola in a ninth grade production of Twelfth Night which landed Liv her first ever acting gig at fourteen. The roles came thick and fast after her initial role in three episodes of Desperate Housewives, Liv going on to have small roles in many popular 2010s shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The Walking Dead, Homeland, and The Americans, and while Roz might not approve of the direction her daughter had chosen to take her life, she couldn’t deny that she was successful.

However, not long after Liv booked what would have been her breakthrough role in a major Marvel movie, her life took a sudden and very dark turn. See, Liv had never really adjusted to her own fame, used to being known as “Roz Washington’s daughter”, exposed to the spotlight to an extent, and therefore had not prepared herself for the more sinister side of being the latest “it girl”. Which is why, after leaving her high school graduation party at eighteen, Liv was not expecting a stalker to be waiting outside for her. In what would become the most terrifying moments of her life, the man attempted to kidnap Liv, playing out some twisted delusion that he was rescuing her, but she fought back viciously, managing to scream for help. Spooked by her fight, the man changed tact and repeatedly stabbed Liv before peeling off in his car, leaving her for dead in the bushes outside the party.

Liv got lucky, a friend having heard her screams and coming running out, managing to get a partial plate as they called an ambulance, but she barely escaped with her life, spending a few days on a ventilator, and it left her with a series of physical and emotional scars that have never really healed. Liv immediately pulled out of acting, wanting to disappear completely and never be seen again, to never be in that position again. It took a long time for her to heal physically, but once she did she went to Roz and asked her to hook her up with the best martial arts trainer that she knew. It became a great outlet for her and all the complicated and intense emotions she was feeling, and while she never competed, Liv did become proficient at Krav Maga, Taekwondo, and kickboxing.

After a lot of intense therapy (therapy that she still has now but not as frequently) Liv decided to attend PSU, wanting to still pursue her dreams, but now preferring to be behind the camera than in front of it. Still, it took a long time for her to venture out into the world again which is why she ended up doing a masters as well; it wasn’t really necessary for her career but Liv liked the privacy and security that PSU offered after having spent the first two years since the attack holed up in the family home and becoming something of a hermit. She’d stayed in contact with her friends from her acting days, and when she was ready to head out into the glitz and glam of Hollywood with her script portfolio they were there waiting for her.

Four years into her blooming career after several different gigs under a showrunner friend of hers, Liv decided to return to PSU once more, this time to teach her passion to the next generation, wanting to encourage them in the same way that she wished Roz had encouraged her. However, that being said, things are a lot easier with her mother than they had ever been, whether it was because of the attack and almost losing her, or the fact that Liv had picked up some kind of sport even if it had been born of a necessity to protect herself rather than compete, Liv chooses not to pull too hard at that thread.

Now in her second year of teaching, Liv finally feels comfortable in her own skin for the first time in twelve years and over the summer has been tentatively dipping her toe back into the acting world with some voice acting work. Maybe this will be the year she finally gets back into dating too, after so long of not being able to look at herself in the mirror in case she saw the scars on her chest and stomach.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

Roz Washington wants only one thing in life, greatness. As her father taught her “If at first you don’t succeed, pack your bags.” It’s the mantra that has motivated her throughout her life. When she fell into swimming at an early age she found a talent that she would harness and win. Since winning her first medal in the junior events it’s a feeling she chases in every aspect of her life. Although she began her career in lane swimming she soon found her competitiveness and need for her father’s approval turned sour in the pool and she took her anger out on her competitors. An event she would rather soon forget especially when she tried to drown poor Beatrice Singh from France at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Cue her redemption ark in the four years leading up to Barcelona 1992 where she found her true calling in Individual synchronised swimming, winning a bronze medal. She always revels in the glory days of her competitive career and comeback that she has found unique ways to commemorate her achievements. The primary one being a child for every medal she has won. She has a number of adoptive children because who can lose valuable time training for gold. She can often be seen adorning one of her medals with every outfit she wears and don’t ask her to share experiences of the Olympics or you might just hear about the time she had a threesome with Michael Phelps.

ALANA WASHINGTON

☆ FULL NAME: Alana Barcelona Washington ☆ GENDER: Ciswoman ☆ PRONOUNS: She/Her ☆ AGE: 31 (July 20th, 1993) ☆ BIRTH ORDER: First ☆ TYPE: Adopted sibling; solo ☆ HOMETOWN: Miami, Florida ☆ JOB: Professional Tennis Player ☆ SCHOOL: Freshman, majoring in Business; minoring in Coaching ☆ SEXUALITY: Lesbian ☆ FACECLAIM: Natalie Emmanuel

ABOUT ALANA

Alana was promised from birth that swimming would come naturally to her. Yet in spite of her efforts, she hated it. She never got passed basic swimming lessons and even developed a fear of water after her mother tossed her into the pool one too many times growing up. It didn’t help that they had a big swimming pool at home and her mother liked to use the element of surprise when doing a dunking under the guise of “character building”. This difference of opinion towards her mother’s passion put a strain on their relationship.

Despite her hatred towards swimming, sports still played a large role in Alana’s life. As the first child in the family there was a lot of expectation on her to succeed, to carry on her mother’s legacy. With swimming clearly not an option she found other ways to progress. Soccer and track to name a few. She not only enjoyed these sports but often excelled in them. This, however, was of no interest to her mother who was adamant that swimming was the ultimate sport, and no other discipline was quite as demanding.

Alana continued to push herself, seeking her mother’s approval in every discipline. She excelled in academics, being a straight A student, became class president and learned to play the violin. Every A or trophy she brought home Roz never really gave approval and would relate the experience to her swimming days. Any mistake or second place result her mother would turn into a teaching moment and refer to a page from her motivational courses. It didn’t help that her mother’s nickname for her children related to the medal they were adopted in memory of, so Alana was often referred to as either Bronze or Barcelona.

It wasn’t until she found tennis that she finally felt she found a skill she excelled in and enjoyed that brought a positive community and competitiveness that she hadn’t found anywhere else. Since finding this passion it’s all she’s followed, continuing from strength to strength through the ranks to become a professional singles player. While she doesn’t mind taking part in doubles events, singles is what she loves. The tension of just her and her competitor on the court. With only one ball, her mindset, skill and wits to get her through. Those accomplishments mean the most to her, and she doesn’t need her mother’s approval in the same way because she knows throughout the sweat and determination she puts in how much she has earned those wins. Her coach became like a parent to her during her early days when her mother feigned disinterest.

Tennis also gave Alana her own identity. Always being Roz’s daughter was always as a reminder of her mother’s accomplishments, which brought a lot of expectations from those she met and now she was carving her own identity in the world. However upon finding tennis her mother constantly refused to acknowledge it as a proper sport, always downplaying Alana’s achievements to the medals she achieved. She would even try to give her competitive advice in matches like she’d done this before so she should take her experience. It wasn’t until her first grand slam final at the Australian open that Roz actually began to take this Tennis thing seriously.

Since then she has been able to bond with her mother and rebuild their relationship being accepted as a proper sportsperson. They even found mutual enjoyment of golf which they often play together and let their competitive natures go. She has gone on to win a number of grand slam titles. Her crowning event was last year when she finally won on home soil at the US Open.

Alana has enjoyed a full career and while she wants to continue competing on the professional circuit a recent injury to her knee has forced her to take time for recovery and consider her options beyond the court. She believes she has about five year left if she’s lucky and she hopes to prepare things now for her to transition from a life full of tennis to other pursuits. While her mother did offer for her to enrol in one of her life building courses Alana has chosen to go back to school. She values the relationship she now has with her mother and feels it best to keep that and not get too involved in her mother’s business. So Alana is pursuing a degree in business to consider ways she can build her brand and explore other avenues. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND

Roz Washington wants only one thing in life, greatness. As her father taught her “If at first you don’t succeed, pack your bags.” It’s the mantra that has motivated her throughout her life. When she fell into swimming at an early age she found a talent that she would harness and win. Since winning her first medal in the junior events it’s a feeling she chases in every aspect of her life. Although she began her career in lane swimming she soon found her competitiveness and need for her father’s approval turned sour in the pool and she took her anger out on her competitors. An event she would rather soon forget especially when she tried to drown poor Beatrice Singh from France at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. 

Cue her redemption ark in the four years leading up to Barcelona 1992 where she found her true calling in Individual synchronised swimming, winning a bronze medal. She always revels in the glory days of her competitive career and comeback that she has found unique ways to commemorate her achievements. The primary one being a child for every medal she has won. She has a number of adoptive children because who can lose valuable time training for gold. She can often be seen adorning one of her medals with every outfit she wears and don’t ask her to share experiences of the Olympics or you might just hear about the time she had a threesome with Michael Phelps.