Not just floating boats at this club

Created seven years ago for rowers and triathletes, the aim was to educate through sport and to make rowing available to everyone at a low cost. The name, Escuela Tupa comes from the Guarani native culture where Tupa is the God of water and rain.

The club was established in 2007 and moved a number of times before the floating boat house became the resting place. The idea for the design came from Pablo Sanchis, a professor and director of Tupa School.

“We started this as a project with amateur sports for recreation and competition,” says Sanchis. “My goal is that every person has access to practice rowing and triathlon.”

Sanchis used rowers who had graduated from the local technical high school and were studying civil engineering at the Universidad Tecnologica Nacional-Regional Santa Fe to design the boat house. In collaboration with specialists, the students created a shed, mounted on floating sealed pontoons, capable of supporting 36 tons of weight.  

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The Escuela Tupa Rowing Club in Sante Fe, Argentina. ©Photo thanks to Amanda Merino

The club currently has a mixture of about 25 rowers and ten triathletes with Sanchis hoping to get the finish the structure before growing the number of members. The competitive rowers will continue competing at national regattas and Sanchis says he hopes to attract more young athletes to rowing and triathlon.

Rowing instructor Amanda Rocio Merino says it is difficult to buy equipment due partly to the economic situation in Argentina which means development has to take place in small steps. “In spite of all of this we continue to work on our sport.”

Website: www.escuelatupa.com.ar

Copy thanks to Amanda Rocío Merino