When naming the scull he adopted, Claudio Salassa, crew of 1974, knew that in addition to supporting current and future Jeppe rowers, he wanted to reflect on aspects of his family’s background.

Claudio who now lives in Houston Texas was a first generation South African Italian.  His father was originally from Torino in the north of the country while his mother was a full blooded Roman.  Growing up with his mother at home, it goes without saying that Claudio’s speech and mannerisms were always going to be more Roman.  The outworking of this is that Claudio has always been fascinated by the fact that that his family has roots in Rome and the Roman Empire.

The Romans Empire was one of the greatest and most influential civilizations in world history. Originating from the city of Rome in 753 BC it lasted for well over 1000 years, and grew to rule much of Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.

While we have the benefit of their legal and governance systems today, the empire grew mostly at the edge of the sword, the Gladius in particular. While the sword was not a Roman invention this relatively short, double-edged weapon became the hallmark of Roman infantry who used it with deadly effect.

Claudio notes that in keeping with the tradition of naming boats after bladed weapons, he felt that Gladius and the victories it ensured would be appropriate.

CLICK HERE to watch the interview we did with Claudio and hear more about his time as a Jeppe Oarsman.