If you happen to be the gambling type, put your bets on this sushi lover, musician, fisherman, nature and science enthusiast and all-around entertaining 6-year-old Lochlan Beatty!  Yep, he is ALL of those and more!

When you meet "Loch," you can be sure you will get all the honest and upfront that you possibly can handle, so describes his aunt, who was visiting the Beatty's during our interview.  

Loch began our interview by asking exactly who all would be reading about him.  His mother, Annie, was by his side, but it was very apparent that this young fella was completely able to deal with my questions solo! He even asked me a few and went ahead and offered more points of interest when it seemed like I may be running slim on questions.

Loch was born March 10, 2016, and attends first grade at Good Shepherd School in Shawnee, KS.  He has a special interest in science currently and was proud to show his Gummy Bear experiment.  After 24 hours, the Gummy Bear swelled and made the water cloudy.  Although the experiment was still in progress, he did recommend not drinking the water!

When I asked about a good "Loch" story,  a harrowing encounter with a spider monkey took top billing.  It happened while on vacation with family in Costa Rica. Loch and Dad (Eric Beatty) had taken a solo excursion to a monkey preserve.  Loch got a little too close to the cage, and the spider monkey grabbed his arm and would not let loose until the zookeeper came to save the situation.  Although Loch claims he really wasn't frightened, he did mention, "Things didn't really go as planned!"  

Not only is Costa Rica Loch's "favorite place on earth with all of its diversity in animals and wildlife," claims Eric, Loch has taken to trying to speak Spanish as much as he could when ordering food!  

Another story is a fish tale where Loch caught a trophy 5 lb., 20" bass in a secret cove at Lake Quivira. He later returned him to the water so he could catch him again sometime!

Loch says he wants to be a veterinarian and help animals in need. He loves all animals but was particular about wanting to help reptiles and small dogs!  

This past summer, Loch was awarded the coveted Green Stick Award.  The honor is given each year to a LQ swimmer who is under 6 years old and shows incredible promise, great attitude, hard working, great attendance and respect for teammates and coaches.   It was a big honor for this little guy!

Loch made an important and profound discovery last year while comparing his heartbeat with a stethoscope to his Dad's heartbeat.  The words, "Dad, your heart doesn't sounds anything like mine, " prompted a cardiologist visit which resulted in a diagnosis of Eric's heart murmur.  A most frightening chapter in the lives of the Beatty family followed.   Eric did receive mitral valve surgery, and his health has thankfully been restored.

Loch loves being with his best friends, Owen, Lincoln and Flo.  He also has a band called Dragon Tails.  Loch plays drums and writes his own songs.  He is not much for singing in public, but if you can catch him, he loves singing pop music and knows ALL of the words!

When asked what Love means, Loch quickly let us know that we were a little old for love.  He did admit to having a special one but kept her name private.  So, keep your bets rolling! Lochlan is clearly a spark of amazing talents and tales all rolled up in one single ball of adorable!