Some kids follow in their parents’ footsteps. Luke Armstrong is following his family’s wake in the swimming pool. The 9-year-old Deer Run Elementary School student has a host of waterborne role models in his family.

Both of Luke’s parents and all his aunts swam competitively as kids. His Grandmommy was a highly accomplished swimmer who also coached for many years. Luke wasn’t pushed into the water, but he took to it immediately. He had his first swim lesson at 4 months old, which was basically introducing him to being in the water with mom or dad. 

From there, his love of swimming only grew. “The more he swam, the more he liked it,” says his mom, Emily. Luke started lessons on his own at 4 years old. He joined the Muirfins swim club when he was 6 and he just completed his third summer competing on the team. Luke is a second-generation Muirfin, as his dad and two of his aunts swam for the club in the 90s. 

Now a seasoned competitor, Luke’s favorite strokes are the butterfly and freestyle. In a typical meet, Luke swims the medley relay, the freestyle relay, and two individual events. “He loves winning the relay events because each member of the relay team receives a ‘heat winner’ token they can exchange for a prize,” says Emily. The summer season kicked off with a bang. “In Luke’s first meet of the 2026 season, he won first place in all three of his events,” says Emily. He also posted three “personal bests” this summer. 

While Luke comes by his love of swimming honestly, he also works hard to improve. “Luke loves his Muirfins coaches,” says Emily. “They do a great job.” He’s also an attentive athlete. “He loves to see and feel improvements,” says Emily. “The better he gets, the more he learns about fine-tuning his strokes—so he is always learning and getting stronger.”

If there’s water around, Luke is working on his game. He loves to swim at his grandparents’ lake in Indiana and enjoys swimming in any ocean, lake, or pool on vacation. His best swimming advice is to kick. Luke teases his mom when he hears her yelling, “Kick, kick, kick!” during his meets, but he acknowledges that it is good advice. “It can be hard to focus on both your kick and your pull, but it makes you go much faster,” says Emily.

Where Luke’s swimming career will take him is anyone’s guess. He can rest assured there’s no pressure coming from home. “Our goal was for him to be a safe swimmer,” says Emily. “Now that he has met that milestone, he can swim on a formal team as long as he wishes.”  

Whether Luke continues competing or simply swims for fun, there’s a good chance you’ll still find him in the water somewhere. “Whether or not he competes in the future, swimming will always be a lifelong hobby,” says Emily. He’ll be able to enjoy it with his family for years to come.