KAND Rowing Club on Brisbane River at Tennyson producing Olympic honours from its tin shed

A small Brisbane rowing club operating on a “shoestring” budget has taken on the world’s richest and triumphed - with one of its own emerging from Paris with a silver medal.

Dr Kelly Armitage flanked by rowers John Morrisey 18, and Rosie Turnbull, 20, in front of the condemned rowing shed, on Oxley Creek, Tennyson in Brisbane. One of their rowers, Logan Ulrich has just won a Silver medal in the Paris Olympics. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

An athlete from a small rowing club in Brisbane’s southside has gone from tin shed to the Olympic stage where he claimed a silver medal at the Paris Games.

KAND Rowing Club, located on the Brisbane River in Tennyson may be small, but it has produced mighty athletes including Logan Ullrich who snagged himself silver in the coxless four event last week.

Founder Dr Kelly Armitage said the club was very proud of its athlete who represented New Zealand at the Games and is a great example of the many talented rowers they have at the club.

New Zealand's Ollie Maclean, Logan Ullrich, Tom Murray and Matt Macdonald compete in the men's four heats. Picture: Bertrand Guay

“It was all totally, from my point of view, unexpected... these are big countries with big rowing budgets, and these kids are just coming from a little club,” Dr Armitage said.

“He’s certainly a big part of KAND and the group of kids.”

The 23-year-old, who attended Brisbane Grammar School and rowed at KAND for six years is just one of the several rowers at the club who have represented Australia.

Boasting a strong group of about 30 athletes, including 10 master rowers, Dr Armitage said the club - that has been running for 20 years - is largely volunteer based.

“It’s all sort of run on a shoestring, so we basically save up enough money to try and buy boats and whatever we need for that season,” he said.

Rower Miller Rowe, 23, rowed with Ulrich and won the U19 pair at Australian nationals: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Now, as a strategy to keep the club running, as well as attract more rowers, Dr Armitage and his wife are looking to organise a meeting with Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to pitch an upgrade for the club to be used as an Olympic training venue for the 2032 Games.

“A part of what I wanted to do with this club is to start more of a culture of keeping kids from high school and university rowing... literally, (we) want to make rowing part of Queensland,” he said.

New Zealand's men's four rowing silver medallists Ollie Maclean, Logan Ullrich, Tom Murray and Matt Macdonald pose for a portrait during a photo session at the Champions Park at the Trocadero in Paris. Picture: THIBAUD MORITZ

“The Brisbane River is the best kind of water to train on...it’s probably one of the best places in Queensland.

“So we want to take that to the mayor and say this is the best venue in town and could be a potential training centre for some country - hopefully Australia - and to develop this thing it will benefit the community.”

Dr Armitage said with the club slowly growing, he hopes exposure such as Mr Ullrich’s Olympic achievement assists to build said culture around Queensland rowing.

“The foundation is pretty strong, there’s a group of people that want to make this happen, we want to increase the coaching of young kids and get them more involved in the sport,” he said.