For several weeks, Sabrina has been travelling through a region she holds close to her heart, dedicating her time and energy to a cause that goes far beyond sport. Her journey began at Kachan Kalan in Nepal, just 50 metres above sea level. Step by step, she climbed higher, eventually reaching Everest Base Camp at 5,364 metres. Soon, she will attempt the ascent of Mount Everest itself.
But before turning her focus to the summit, there was something she simply had to do. At extreme altitude, in freezing temperatures and under falling snow, Sabrina and her team achieved something never done before: the highest judo session in the world. Led by Sabrina, this was a unique and deeply inspiring event and it took place at the foot of the world’s highest mountain.
“We are too excited to tell you,” she shared. “Although deep temperatures and snowfall made it tricky and challenging, today we completed the highest judo class ever, at Everest Base Camp.”
This was no ordinary training session. It was the result of determination, courage and collective effort. Young judoka, guided by coaches Kinga and Priti, undertook a three-day hike from the Sir Edmund Hillary School to reach the base camp. Among them were Rishan, Mamata, Aliza and Pemba, the youngest at just 13 years old.
They walked through rain and snow. They stayed in crowded lodges. They pushed beyond fatigue and uncertainty, and yet, when they arrived, their faces reflected nothing but joy and pride.
“It has not been easy to do,” Sabrina admitted, “but we did it!” At such altitude, even breathing is a challenge. Movement becomes slower, heavier. However, on that day, judo came alive, pure, authentic and deeply human.
For Sabrina, this moment is part of a much larger commitment. For years, she has been involved in the development of Everest Judo Club, using judo as a tool for education, empowerment and connection in remote communities.
What happened at Everest Base Camp was more than a symbolic achievement. It was a message, a message that judo knows no limits, a message that passion can overcome the harshest conditions. This is a message that the values of judo can reach even the highest places on Earth.
As the world’s best athletes compete on the tatami in Dushanbe, another kind of greatness was expressed in the Himalayas, not measured in medals or rankings but in effort, unity and the will to go beyond what could ever be expected. From the lowest point to the roof of the world, this journey reminds us of something essential, that in judo, as in life, the true summit is not always the one we see, it is the one we dare to reach together.