Seventeen year old Lakey Peterson is a champion surfer, conservationist, and spokeswoman for SCA. As she competes around the world, Lakey will share her observations of the environments she visits and her work to protect the world's oceans. To follow her on the pro tour, visit lakeypeterson.com [1].
I have pretty much the coolest job in the world. I have been surfing competitively for about five years but just this last year went pro and made it onto the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour. Being a pro surfer, I have gotten to travel all over the world from Bali, France, Australia, Brazil, and more! It is amazing to see the state of the environment within all these countries, and how some of them really take care of the environment and how others, unfortunately, do not.
For instance, Bali is a tropical paradise but the local environment is really suffering. Tourism and development rule. Corals are being used as building materials. And if you go to the beach, trash is everywhere and most people seem resigned or indifferent. But when I went to Singapore, it was a completely different story. You couldn’t find one piece of trash, no matter how hard you try. Why? Local government cracked down – it’s a $2,000 fine if you’re caught littering! – and passed other laws to reduce pollution and protect natural resources.
This is what led me to SCA. I learned about the organization two years ago and immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it. As a surfer, I am in nature all day, every day and I see the damage that we are doing to the Earth. I wanted to help make this world a healthier place.
So I contacted some people at SCA to see if we could team up and they were really into the idea. I’ve become sort of a spokesperson for them, participating in their park clean-ups (which was a blast, by the way) and recording a water conservation spot for SCA partner American Water in New York! [2]
Working with SCA has been incredible for me for so many reasons. I have learned a lot about the environment that I never would have if I didn’t get involved with them. And I’ve had the opportunity to tell more people about SCA and get them involved as well!
Depending upon where I am in the world, sometimes after it rains, you can’t go into the water because it’s so polluted from runoff. It’s insane to treat our planet this way! SCA is devoted to making a change and that’s why I’m a part of it! I look forward to sharing more of my experiences with you and writing about how we can make a change together!
Thanks for reading,
Lakey P. xoxo