The cage fighter who dreams of fostering

When Luke talks about the things he cares most about, his passion becomes tangible. With infectious positivity he explains what fostering means to him, how his career is going and how much he loves his family – his sister; his mum, who he calls ‘the queen’; his dad, who taught him how to throw his first punch; and the children they have looked after. 

Luke’s interviews about his job as a professional mixed martial arts fighter (sometimes known as cage fighting) are filled with odes to his family and how blessed and grateful he is. At any given opportunity the 26-year-old raises awareness of fostering, shares his experiences and encourages other people to come forward to foster. 

The purpose of life 

Currently, Luke’s daily routine is structured around being the best fighter he can be – he trains two to four times a day – but the one thing that really matters, the athlete (known as ‘the Gent’) says, is making a difference to children’s lives. A life without it seems impossible for Luke to imagine.  

‘I just want to live comfortably to be able to help children,’ he says, when asked about his career aspirations. And in terms of fostering? The 26-year-old doesn’t hesitate for a second: ‘Oh my lord, I cannot wait to foster. It’s not an “if”, it’s a “when”. But as much as you want to do it, you ned to be stable. There’s a lot to helping a kid and I would want to share this responsibility with a partner.’  
 

‘Oh my lord, I cannot wait to foster. It’s not an “if”, it’s a “when”.' 
 

Put into perspective 

Luke was 12 when his parents started to foster, and this was largely due to Luke’s influence. ‘I was friends with a guy at school whose parents looked after children, and I went over to his one afternoon. I came home genuinely happy with my experience and told my mum and dad in 12-year-old terms what fostering is and about all the kids that were there playing.’  

Luke’s mum was in between jobs at the time and she was intrigued. ‘Being the emotional angel she is, she wanted to make a difference,’ Luke says. ‘She contacted my friend’s mum right away. Five days later my parents sat my sister and me down and told us, “We’re starting to foster”.’ 

Since then, the Trainers have looked after children from all types of backgrounds, large sibling groups and individual children. ‘Currently, we are looking after a family of three and it’s our first long-term fostering experience,’ Luke says, adding how proud he is of his parents and his sister. 

The values his parents and growing up in a fostering family have instilled in him, Luke wants to pass on to his own children further down the line. ‘This is going to sound corny, but I have gained so much gratitude and perspective from fostering,’ he says. 
 

'This is going to sound corny, but I have gained so much gratitude and perspective from fostering.' 
 

‘I come home thinking I had a hard day and then I see these kids deal with trauma. These precious little human beings that have no choice on the cards that they have been dealt with. I have parents that love me and do everything for me. I am blessed.’ 

Fights and choices

Asked whether he ever gets nervous before a fight, Luke shrugs. ‘I am getting to fight in a cage for good money. I am doing it out of choice. I put myself in a life-or-death situation because I want to,’ he says. ‘Children who need a safe place to stay don’t get that choice. There’s nervousness in a fight with referees, rules and a commission. And then there’s nerves when you’re six years old and don’t know who dad will bring home.’ 

‘I think there’s a lot to learn from fostering. And there’s a lot to learn from martial arts. My life goal is to open a children’s home and incorporate the martial arts ethos into it.’