Marlin Meetup: Lachlan Summers

[kirbithan 1,590]

 

Welcome to another episode of Marlin Meetup— where we sit down with members of our beloved San Diego Marlins and get to know them on a level deeper than hockey. I’m your host Marina Martin. Today’s guest is starting goaltender Lachlan Summers, hailing from Brisbane, Australia! How are you today, Lachlan?

 

“Feelin’ good, doin’ good. What more can you ask for, really?”

 

Glad to hear it! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to join us. Ready to answer some questions?

 

“Defo. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

First, we wanted to congratulate you on back-to-back shutouts a few nights ago! That’s such an amazing feat to pull off and all of Marlins country is proud of you. How’ve you adjusted to life in North America?

 

“Thanks. Well, I lived in Ontario for a couple months for a hockey camp when I was 17, but this is my first experience living in the States. There were a couple culture shocks when I first got here, like how massive food portions are for the price. Which is bloody great, don’t get me wrong—but I gotta keep fit and this makes it a lot harder for me. My husband Frankie usually cooks the meals for us, so I don’t have to worry about it much, though, luckily. He’s a personal trainer so he knows his stuff. He helps out a lot. Keeps me from gettin’ too outta shape.”

 

Sounds like that works out well for you both! How’d you and Frankie meet? Your wedding photos were spectacular.

 

“Funny you mention that ‘cause we actually met at that hockey camp I mentioned earlier. I was the only Aussie. Felt like the odd one out. I’m already a quiet person as it is and that made it worse I reckon, ‘cause everybody had their respective ‘cliques’ and people they already knew, but Frankie was the first one to talk to me. His smile could light up an entire room. He had braces back then, though, and his Quebecois accent was a lot thicker than it is now. I like to tease him about the braces once in a while. I could talk about him for hours but I don’t wanna bore everyone watchin’ at home, but I do have some pics on my phone of us from that camp if you wanna see ‘em. I like lookin’ back on how far we’ve come.”

 

Of course! This would make for a great treat for the fans.

 

“Yeah, just. . . don’t pay too much attention to my awful haircut in these photos.”

 

It’s not that bad. Now, onto the next question, we’ve noticed that friends and fans alike have been calling you the “kangaroo man.” Any thoughts about that?

 

“Honestly, I think that John Richards and Sadie St-Louis might’ve started that trend, but I can’t say I haven’t contributed to the “kangaroo man” thing either. I have a boxing kangaroo tattoo on my thigh and it’s wicked. Got it done not too long ago before movin’ here. Just wanted to bring a piece of home with me and now the fans have taken it to a whole new level, which is both great and hilarious. I’m runnin’ outta room on my shelf for all the roo stuffies that they’re tossin’ onto the ice after every win. San Diego is definitely a hockey city, I don’t care what anybody else says. That’s a fact.”

 

Speaking of nicknames, do you have any more?

 

“My close friends and family call me Lachy. Some of the other Marlins have given me grief for it, but I don’t really care. But even they know that they should stay far away from that nickname for me if they know what’s good for ‘em. . . just kidding, I wouldn’t go that far, but I might swing my stick at someone once or twice if I catch ‘em callin’ me Lachy. It was a nickname that’s followed me from childhood ‘till now. Reckon I can’t really escape it at this point.”

 

Well, you heard it here, folks! Let’s stick to some other nicknames for you, then, Lachlan. Have you also gotten a chance to explore San Diego at all?

 

“Yeah, whenever I have off days, Frankie and I have tried to mark a new thing off our San Diego bucket list. We went to the Safari Park up north in Escondido and got to hang out with some wallabies— basically mini kangaroos— they’re both in the same family of marsupials. We also have gone to some hidden gems like the Cave Store. Gotten plenty of time in the sun with our dog Addy, too. Luckily the climate isn’t too different from back home so it hasn’t been too drastic of a change.”

 

Little Addy has become quite the social media star, hasn’t she?

 

“I’m fully convinced most people like Addy more than me, but honestly, I’m not surprised. She’s a sweetheart, always followin’ us around. One of my friends back home owns a dalmatian who had puppies and was given’ ‘em away so of course I took one. Who can resist an adorable pup? Named her after the city of Adelaide, but sometimes it’s a mouthful, so it’s Addy most of the time. Unless she gets into some kinda trouble.”

 

Oh, but you let her off the hook most of the time, don’t you?

 

“I was pretty pissed when she unrolled an entire toilet paper roll in the bathroom, but. . . yeah. Can’t stay mad at that sweet face for long.”

 

I didn’t realize we’re nearly out of time! Thank you again for joining us today, Lachlan, and for giving us a chance to get to know you more! 

 

“No problem. Having little to no hockey questions to worry about was refreshin’. If you ever wanna see my mug on this show again, feel free to let me know.”

 

Of course! And thank you to our viewers for watching another excellent edition of Marlin Meetup. We will ‘sea’ all of you next time! This has been your host Marina Martin, signing off.

 

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Edited September 25, 2022 by kirbithan