Utah Triplets Davin, Sage, and Creed Thompson Do The Unthinkable After Losing Their Dad at 11: All Earn Rare NCAA Honor

After experiencing an unimaginable tragedy at the age of 11, Utah-based triplets Sage, Davin, and Creed Thompson have overcome all odds.

In 2014, after the siblings turned 11, their father Bryce tragically passed away from leukemia. Despite his intense dedication to his health, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet, the father tragically experienced a rare hereditary condition called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), which increases the risk of developing cancer. With a 50% chance of developing cancer by the age of 30, his wife Jenni reported that Bryce, “always said that he felt like a ticking time bomb.”

After Bryce and Jenni had children, the parents made sure to put Sage, David, and Creed through preimplantation genetic diagnosis, a procedure used with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to reduce the risk of passing down medical issues. And, this decision has proved to be smart: This year, the Thompson triplets, who are now all 19 years old, each received NCAA Division I All-American honors in their given sports.

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Sage, who performs as a gymnast at the University of Utah, received accomplishments for her ability to land on uneven bars. Her brothers, David and Creed, both earned top honors as cross-country runners at Brigham Young University. According to their mother, the late Thompson father would be nothing short of proud of the children.

“I know Bryce would be so proud of them,” Jenni said during an interview with TODAY. “It was so important to him that they continue living their lives and doing what they loved.”

Jenni went on to describe her husband’s final days, explaining that one of Bryce’s wishes was for his children to continue being active and involved in athletics. “I made him a promise that I would still get out of bed and make sure they kept doing their sports. We weren’t going to slip into a vortex of despair,” she shared.

Sage Thompson discusses her and her brother’s success as Division I athletes

Even when Jenni was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, she continued dedicating her life to her children. For the Thompson children, the sacrifices their mother made have been essential to their success as athletes. “When she was sick, she was all about us and making sure we were OK, and we’d be like, ‘No, no, no. Let us take care of you,'” Sage Thompson relayed.

The female triplet also shared that being able to do gymnastics provided her with much-needed stress relief after her father’s death. “It got me through the saddest time in my life,” she explained. “It pushed me to keep going.”

Sage Thompson then added the sentiments, “There’s definitely been moments where I know he’s there watching me and smiling. And I know my brothers feel the same way.” 

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