Episode 551: Monica and Luke Swanson – Raising a Professional Surfer (Parent-Athlete Series Episode 2)

I’m excited to release another episode of the parent-athlete series sponsored by Lily Trotters. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Monica Swanson and her son Luke Swanson. I had the pleasure of interviewing Monica on my parenting podcast last year. She’s a homeschooling mom of four boys living in Hawaii, and she’s raising some serious athletes! Three of her sons are already out of the house, but today we get to talk to her son, Luke, who is a professional surfer. Yes, a professional surfer! It was fascinating to hear both Monica’s perspective as a supportive mom and Luke’s insights into what it takes to train at such a high level from a young age. We also delved into what life is like now for them as they navigate Luke’s professional surfing career. I even asked Luke some Olympic-related questions, since I caught some of the surfing events in the Olympics and was curious about the ins and outs of the sport. Monica and Luke had some really interesting insights that I think you’ll enjoy. I love learning about sports outside of the running world, and I hope you find this episode as engaging as I did. Monica is one of my favorite people I’ve connected with through social media, and I always find her story inspiring, so it was so fun to catch up with her on this episode! And don’t forget to give our sponsor some love. Lily Trotters has the best compression socks out there. Whether you’re looking for recovery socks or a comfortable option for travel, Lily Trotters has you covered. Their styles work for both men and women, and as a woman-owned business, I’m proud to support them. I’ve been working with Lily Trotters for years, and I’m thrilled to have them back on board for this series. Don’t forget, you can get 30% off your order at lilytrotters.com with the code “HAVEANOTHER.” What we talked about: 4:45- How they landed in Hawaii 10:00- Thoughts on surfing in the Olympics 12:15- Luke’s development as a surfer and how Monica helped to foster that love 31:15- Trusting a coach as both the athlete and the parent 37:45- Navigating the surfing culture 53:30- The most rewarding part about being the parent of an athlete 55:00- The rewarding parts of being a professional athlete Show notes: Luke on Instagram Monica on Instagram Book recommendations: The Confident Mind Becoming Homeschoolers Raising Amazing Connect with Lindsey: Lindsey on Instagram Lindsey on Twitter Support our sponsors: Lily Trotters Use code “HaveAnother” for 30% off your order