The Juan Antonio de Ugarte Memorial Scholarship was created in 2015, following the passing of "Juanito" de Ugarte in November 2014. Originally from Cusco, Peru, Juanito was a talented kayaker who shared his love and skills by coaching others, especially youth. In Peru most of the paddling community are adults, as many children lack the opportunity and financial support to learn. This is what Juanito wanted to change. One of his big dreams to was to open a Kayaking School in Peru and hopefully bring up a Peruvian World Champion.
In
memory of Juan Antonio “Juanito” De Ugarte a donation-based scholarship has
been created that will send one Peruvian kid to the Ottawa River for a session
at Ottawa Kayak School’s Keener Program. In honour of Juanito’s paddling
accomplishments and his enthusiasm for teaching the next generation, this
scholarship aims to give back to his country and padding community by giving a
child the chance to take their paddling to the next level through a paddling
development program or camp. We hope to provide inspiration and support to an
aspiring kayaker to improve their on-water skills, but also to teach them
compassion for their peers and their environment while building a global
paddling community. Through this scholarship friends, family and the paddling
community at large can ensure Juanito’s spirit lives on by supporting and
inspiring current and future generations of whitewater kayakers.