Filipa Leandro made her dream happen. A proud mom of three, surfer and writer, she never let go of her passion for surf. Her persistence and commitment paid off.

Meet Filipa Leandro

LM: Filipa, let’s start by you telling us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and what do you do?
FL: I´m from Cascais, Portugal. I´m a mom, a writer, a surfer. In love with my family, nature and sustainability!
LM: How old were you when you started surfing and when did you decide to make it a living?
FL: It was hard for me to be a surfer in Portugal in the ’80s because there were just a few girls (4 or 5 in the whole country). Boys would say all the time that I should Bodyboard instead, that surfing was for boys, but I never quit my dream and started surfing when I was eighteen years old… finally!

There was a different mentality at the time. I competed for ten years, got sponsored, but I never lived from it. I was at university studying Political Science and afterwards did a Masters degree in Human Ecology.

I didn’t have the money to go much further than Portugal competing. But after I had my three kids, when the youngest was 2 years old, I took a course to teach surf. This allowed me to teach and gave me the opportunity to always be with my kids (all of them love to surf).

Since then, I can say I have been living from surfing, for almost ten years. But too many surf schools started operating and all the fun was gone!

Also, my kids grew up and my cervix was damaged from all the effort.

“I never quit my dream and started surfing when I was eighteen years old… “

LM: Portugal has become a fashionable surf spot. How did this phenomenon affect local surfers?
FL: I must say that Portugal became too crowded. Too many people in the water and the worst are the beginners – they are really dangerous! Especially older surfers, not so much the kids, but mainly adults.

Lots of them want to do the fashionable sport, but they forget that there are rules, security measurements, etc.

About the foreigners, I remember when surfers from other countries would arrive in Portugal, from Brazil, Australia, New Zeland. We were so happy! They would surf so well and it was fun, but now it is just tourism and surf schools everywhere ruining the essence! Looks like everybody needs to be a surfer and locals are making lots of money but I just feel like crying when I look at the surf spots.

LM: What is your advice for someone, like me, who is drawn to surf but is afraid to try.
FL: Don´t go! laughing tongue-out Well, what can I say, everybody has the right to do it, and enjoy the feeling. So my advice is to learn the basics with someone trustworthy. Begin slowly at the whitewash and then gradually start going outside.

First, you want to be for a while surfing the small waves, even if you are brave. There are always lots of details and techniques to learn, and there is nothing better than experience!

Filipa Leandro - Going surfing
LM: Your passion for surf had a great influence on one of your kids and your debut as a writer. Tell us about that experience.
FL:  Actually, it influenced the three kids! But two of them are competitors. My daughter Francisca Veselko (Kika), 17 years old @kikaveselko is a great surfer, she is starting competing worldwide. With the COVID-19 the contests stopped.

Kika was part of the National Junior Surf Team since the age of 13 and was also champion a few times.

Last year at the age of 16 she was vice Champion from Europe in the Open division. The WQS´s (World Qualifying Series) from the last year that she could participate in, went very well.

My 20-year-old Joey @haole_joe , also surfs a lot and loves it. Then Jaime, @jaimesince2009, my 11 years old, is a strong competitor, and loves it too!

My books… well, we have been having fun stories and trips, as a surfing family. Because I love to write and to empower kids, and teach and motivate them about different things, as culture, values, and sustainability, I thought that writing a book collection about us would be fun, and memories for life ( a legacy)!

Filipa Leandro - Kids
LM: With the evolution of the internet on so many aspects of our daily lives, how do you see the future of printed books in kids lives?
FL: Well, I think that more and more books will be read as Ebooks. I have all my books as Ebooks as an option, but you also can buy them printed. I think our generation and older, are used to printed books and love it, but kids are getting used to digital ones.

To save trees, ink, material space and so on, I think that little by little printed books will be history. Perhaps in my great-grandchildren’s generation.

Filipa Leandro
Filipa Leandro - Book presentation
LM: You are also an avid veggie home grower. What tips do you have for people who want to start their veggie garden?
FL: Just start, no fear. Nature is amazing. You have great tips at youtube to help you with everything, but get ready to work! You need to put effort on it! In the end, it’s so worthy. It’s just so tasty and easy to eat your homegrown veggies! And you know they are out of chemicals, which is even better!
Filipa Leandro - Gardening
LM: What are your future plans?
FL: I want to accompany my children, continue to surf, travel and write. I have a lot of projects in mind. I want to work with the Portuguese communities around the world, PALOP´s (countries from Africa that speak Portuguese) and so on.

I also want to be able to help planet earth to be a healthier place in all ways, always passing on good values, examples, having love and sustainability as a basis.

LM: If one of our readers would like to have surf classes with you or buy one of your books, how should they contact you?
FL: I can’t give surf classes anymore, because of my cervix 🙁 sorry!

My books are on Amazon, and they also can contact me at my Instagram @pipa.jaime.kika @filipa_leandro_ or email historiasdapipa@gmail.com

Find Filipa Leandro’s books, in Portugusese and English, here.
Filipa Leandro - Pipa, Jaime, Kika