Athletes and fans at the next Winter Olympics might do a double take — or even a triple one. Eighteen-year-old triplets Henniyah, Helaina, and Henri Rivers from Long Island, New York, are determined to represent Jamaica, their mother’s homeland, in alpine skiing at the upcoming 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.

For the Rivers siblings, skiing is not just a sport — it’s a family bond. “It would mean a lot,” said Henri Rivers, the only brother of the trio. “I use my sisters as motivation toward skiing because without them, I really wouldn’t be the skier I am today.” His sister Henniyah added, “I don’t want to do it by myself. I’d rather have them with me. We do everything together.”

The triplets shared their story during an interview with Craig Melvin on TODAY, where they reflected on their lifelong connection both on and off the slopes. “Even when it’s annoying, we still love each other so much,” said Helaina Rivers. “We’re each other’s best friends.”

If they qualify, the Rivers siblings would make history as the first triplets ever to compete in the same Winter Olympics. Their passion for skiing runs in the family — both of their parents are ski instructors, and they introduced their children to snow sports at a very young age. “They were exposed to snow and the outdoors before they turned one,” said their mother, Karen Rivers. Their father, Henri Rivers III, joked, “She was racing with them in her belly.”

The triplets began ski racing at just five years old, and two of them, Henri and Henniyah, already gained international experience by competing at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea.

Jamaica’s legacy in the Winter Olympics is famously tied to its bobsled team, immortalized in the 1993 film Cool Runnings. The country did not have an alpine skier in the Olympics until 2022, and the Rivers siblings are hoping to expand that representation.

Their journey has not been without challenges. The siblings noted that being athletes of color in a predominantly white sport has often made them feel like outsiders. “We weren’t really seeing other athletes of color around us,” said Helaina, “so that’s something we had to learn how to navigate. It’s still hard, but it’s gotten easier as we’ve gotten older.”

Despite those obstacles, the triplets are focused on using their platform to inspire greater diversity in winter sports — especially among young athletes from the Caribbean. “Years down the line, there will be Nordic skiers for Jamaica. I believe it,” said Henniyah confidently.

As their Olympic dream comes closer to reality, the magnitude of their potential achievement is starting to sink in. “Sometimes you’re just walking and you think about it — and it hits you,” said Helaina. “‘Wait, this is insane.’”

Together, the Rivers triplets hope to make history — not only as the first Jamaican alpine skiing trio, but as a symbol of unity, perseverance, and representation on the global stage.