There is a moment when everything stops. The moment when you're standing on a board, the water holds you, the wind brushes your face and the horizon ahead of you is infinite. In that moment there are no labels, no diagnoses, no barriers. There is only you, the sea, and freedom.
It is from this deep conviction — the one that has guided Blue Tribe from day one — that a project is born that goes far beyond sport. On May 17th, 2026, from 10:00 to 12:00, the Centro Sportivo Andrea Maria in Pentimele (Via Nazionale Pentimele 145, Reggio Calabria) becomes the stage for something extraordinary: the first free Open Day of the project "SUP & Cognitive Disability – The Sea for Everyone".
Three different organisations, one shared vision: sport as a tool to break down barriers and build community. ASI Calabria, a sports promotion body rooted in the region, Blue Tribe ASD, a water sports school based at Punta Pellaro, and Insieme per la Città APS, a social support association, have joined forces to create something concrete and necessary.
The project is aimed at children aged 8 and over on the autism spectrum, offering them a unique experience: approaching SUP — Stand Up Paddleboarding — in a safe, structured and naturally motivating environment like the sea.
"ASI Calabria deeply believes in sport as a tool for social cohesion and personal development. Supporting a project like this means being faithful to our mission: promoting sport that is truly inclusive, accessible and rooted in the territory."
— Giuseppe Melissi, President of ASI Calabria
Stand Up Paddleboarding is not just a sport. It is a complex sensory experience: balance, proprioception, contact with water, the rhythm of paddling, the horizon expanding. For children on the autism spectrum, all of this takes on a special meaning.
The project has the scientific support of Dr. Daniela Gullace, Behaviour Analyst, who explains precisely why SUP can make a difference:
"From a behavioural analysis perspective, interaction with water and structured motor activities represent a privileged context for fostering emotional regulation, the development of social skills and the strengthening of autonomy. SUP, in particular, provides controlled sensory stimuli and a naturally motivating environment that can make a real difference in each child's journey. Watching a child climb onto a board and find their balance is, in every sense, something extraordinary."
— Dr. Daniela Gullace, Behaviour Analyst
At Blue Tribe we know that the sea is democratic. It doesn't ask for your CV, it doesn't read diagnoses, it doesn't measure your difficulties. It only asks you to be present, to breathe, to feel part of something greater. This is why Sebastiano Michele Militti, president of Blue Tribe, wants to explain the deeper meaning of this initiative:
"The sea has an extraordinary power: it puts everyone on the same level, erases distances and opens spaces of freedom that the land often cannot give. With this project we want every child, regardless of their difficulties, to experience that feeling at least once — and then again, and again. We are not just talking about sport: we are talking about dignity, belonging, the right to the territory. Reggio Calabria is a city overlooking one of the most beautiful seas in the Mediterranean, and it is our duty to ensure that this heritage truly belongs to everyone."
— Sebastiano Michele Militti, President of Blue Tribe ASD
A vision shared by Sara Sergi, vice-president of Insieme per la Città APS:
"Insieme per la Città was born to stand alongside the most vulnerable people and to build bridges between them and the community. This project embodies exactly that vision: the sea not as a privilege of the few, but as a shared experience, capable of generating wellbeing, trust and belonging. It is a concrete step towards a more just and more human Reggio Calabria."
— Sara Sergi, Vice-President of Insieme per la Città APS
The event is open, free and accessible to all. Here is everything you need to know:
The May 17th Open Day is not an endpoint, but a beginning. The project partners are already working to expand the possibilities for sports inclusion in the territory, with structured activities and dedicated pathways for different forms of vulnerability — always with the sea at the centre, always with eyes on the horizon.
Because at Blue Tribe we believe the sea is a right, not a privilege. And that sport, when done well, can transform lives. As it transforms them every morning at Punta Pellaro, when the wind lifts the kite and the waters of the Strait welcome those who want to learn to fly.
On May 17th, come and discover how the sea can do the same for everyone.
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