Twins can fit in with other twins at Homer Davenport Days Festival

SILVERTON – Imagine wanting to see how a new pair of sunglasses or a shirt would look on you and not have to look in a mirror.

Vicky and Lara Ghio do that all the time.

There are certain experiences only twins can identify with, and the Ghio twins are bringing another one to their hometown of Silverton.

As part of the Homer Davenport Days festival in Silverton, the sisters are putting on a Twin Walk in the 10 a.m. Aug. 3 parade.

They are inviting all manner of multiples – identical twins, fraternal twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc. – to dress alike and take part in the Twin Walk as part of the annual parade through Silverton.

The Ghio’s came up with the idea after attending the Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio in 2016 where they found people with whom they fit in without standing out for the first time.

“For some reason, you just know what they’ve been through,” Lara Ghio said. “It’s just a different connection when you’re talking with another twin about their experiences in life.

“We want to bring that vibe here in the northwest. It would be amazing.”

The birth rate of twins has risen steadily in the past few decades.

A 2015 Center for Disease Control study showed there were 33.9 twins born for every 1,000 births in the United States. That’s up from about 20 per 1,000 in 1980.

When the Ghio twins were born in Argentina, their parents were told the sisters were fraternal twins, but growing up they always appeared identical.

Six years ago, Lara coerced Vicky’s husband into stealing her toothbrush and sent it off for DNA testing as a surprise. When they opened the results on Christmas, they finally learned they are identical.

“For people who are twins, it’s a big deal,” Vicky said. “For others, it was like, ‘Whatever, we knew you guys were.’ For us, it was like we learned a little piece of ourselves.”

Three years ago, Vicky went into labor with her second child at 3 a.m., two weeks before she was due and sent a message to Lara, who was living in Portland at the time. But Vicky didn’t hear anything back.

Lara, at the same time, had a severe abdominal pain. It was so bad she had to be rushed to a hospital.

When Vicky gave birth about 6 a.m., Lara’s abdominal pain abruptly stopped, and the doctors found nothing wrong with her.

“After 35 years of twins telling me, ‘Do I feel your pain?’ I can actually say I have felt my sister’s pain,” Lara said.

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Lara and Vicky have been close since they were children.

They moved to Silverton at age 9 and learned to speak English together.

The Ghio twins always did the same activities growing up and for a time played as a doubles team in tennis at Silverton High School.

Though they played well together in the technical aspects of the game, their pairing caused other problems.

“We actually had to be separated because the other girls thought we were cheating,” Vicky said. “We wear the same outfits and we look the same.

“Plus, at the time we used to fight all the time, so we would be yelling in Spanish. The other people would be like, ‘They’re talking about us. And I can see they’re switching.’”

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They worked at a golf club in Sunriver in the summers while going to college. Vicky checked bags for golfers and Lara worked at the tee. Golfers frequently asked Lara how she got from the clubhouse to the tee so fast.

When they worked at the same restaurant, customers would frequently ask the wrong sister for their food.

“Waitressing, that was the worst,” Vicky said.

They attended Eastern Oregon University at the same time, Vicky was a business major while Lara majored in psychology, and lived together in Seattle before getting married – they kept their last name in separate decisions – and having families.

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Vicky first moved back to Silverton to be near her parents, and Lara followed two years ago.

With daughters about the same age – 5 and 6 – and sons about the same age – 3 and 4 – they occasionally dress their children the same.

“We didn’t have our own twins, but we treat our kids like twins,” Vicky said.

All twins and multiples are welcome to participate in the Twin Walk at the Homer Davenport Festival.

The multiples will meet at Silverton Middle School at 714 Schlador Street in Silverton at 9 a.m. Aug. 3.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler