Sibling rivalry is inevitable. Whenever there are two or more kids growing up under the same roof, competing for the same attention and resources, competition will result. What is rare, however, is when they find a constructive way to sublimate this primal force. The Brothers Grimm come to mind. Out of their academic research into German folklore, they immortalized the stories which form the foundation of Western children's literature (not to mention the Disney empire). The Wright Brothers also merit mention. From working together in their bicycle shop, they learned mechanical principles which would one day lead them to invent the previously unfathomable flying machine. Moving closer to our featured story, consider Venus and Serena Williams. The leading ladies of tennis for the last two decades have teamed up to win 14 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic gold medals in doubles. Imagine the young Williams sisters getting a feel for hitting the ball back and forth over the net in the public courts of Compton, California in the late 1980s. A casual observer would hardly capable of imagining the historic heights to which they would one day rise, let alone the tremendous influence they would eventually exert over generations of aspiring players. Now picture a gradual fade as the fuzzy tennis ball dissolves into a hard plastic ball, echoing mercilessly in a cinder block basement. Zoom out and another pair of curiously cooperative siblings comes into focus. While they appear well coached in table tennis technique, they are engaged not in a Cobra Kai-style, "strike first, strike hard, show no mercy" competitive point but an unhurried practice rally. It soon becomes clear why they appear to be pacing themselves, and that is because they are. Meet the Cooper brothers of Derbyshire, England. Sam, 15, and Joseph, 12, recently took it upon themselves to play table tennis for 24 consecutive hours. Play began at 9:00 Saturday morning, and the ball stayed in constant motion until the same time Sunday. "They only stopped for toilet breaks when me, their dad or sister stepped in to keep the ball going," verified their mother Georgina. While for most siblings, this would be a zero-sum battle of will akin to a staring contest, the Cooper boys fall into that suspiciously copacetic category previously described. They sought sponsorship for their pong-a-thon in order to raise money for their local food bank. "We set up a fundraising page on Just Giving with a target to raise £300 for The Trussell Trust – a charity supporting food banks – as they wanted to do something to help during the current coronavirus situation," reported their mum Georgina. "By the time they finished playing they had raised £4,055 but this has already gone up to £5,000 as our Facebook posts have been shared so widely," she continued. "We have been totally overwhelmed with all the support and donations received." While their charitable endeavor exceeded all expectations, the boys were too tired to celebrate their laudable achievement. "They are absolutely exhausted but so grateful for all the support and sponsorship. A huge thank you to everyone, it really means so much," said Georgina. "The boys are fast asleep now but hopefully will be back on the table before too long!" Are they the next Grimms, Wrights, or Williamses? Not at all. Rather, they are a new breed of ping-pong philanthropists, driven to use their talents for the greater good. They are the Brothers Cooper.

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