For the next three months however, Sabrina's life will not revolve exclusively around judo, although judo will animate her every pedal stroke and step to reach Mount Everest in Nepal’s Himalayas.
This project was born several years ago and has continued to grow in the mind of the champion. Back in 2016, when we were filming one of the episodes of Judo for World in Nepal, we met Sabrina on her descent from Manaslu, an 8163m climb she had just completed. She told us about her project to one day climb the highest peak in the world, “It's a long-term project. It can't be improvised but clearly I've been dreaming about it for many years. In my country, Austria, the mountains are not only part of the landscape but also the mentality of the people. Judo is my passion and my life, the mountains too."
As the great champion that she is, however, Sabrina does not just want to climb Everest, she wants to do it from sea level in India, near Calcutta. The first part of the journey that will take several months, will begin on a bicycle. Accompanied by Laxmi Magar (MTB XCO GOLD Medalist SAG 2019, Nepal Government Best Player of 2020) and a small team, she will cross northern India on her bike, already an adventure in itself. Then once arrived in Nepal, she will continue on foot to the base camp of Everest. The most difficult will be yet to come.
"I can only imagine climbing Everest in alpine style, that is to say without an oxygen supply. It requires a long preparation period because beyond 8000 metres of altitude, one enters the 'death zone,' in which the body self-destructs. It takes a lot of training and an expertly supervised approach to achieve this. Most mountaineers who reach the summit do it with additional oxygen, but this does not correspond to my approach."
For those who know Sabrina there is nothing really surprising here and even if the bet is risky, we can be convinced that she will do everything possible to achieve the goal. It must be said that the outdoor dimension of the expedition is also crucial. Sabrina is also an IJF Climate Change Ambassador. As such, she promotes respect for the environment and engages in concrete actions for the preservation of our planet, "Throughout my journey I will act for the planet. During the stages we will disseminate important messages to the population. We will encourage young people to realise that we only have one planet. There is no alternative. We will, for example, clean up the environment."
These messages and these actions will be local, but they also aim to make the world population aware that the Himalayan zone is in danger. "The melting of glaciers has become very rapid on the Himalayan peaks. Landslides are permanent, endangering millions of people. These dangers associated with the Covid crisis for the last two years have thrown many people into disarray and into a great precariousness. Of course there is the exploit part of my adventure, but there is also above all the important emphasis on safeguarding our lives. It is not true that because the Himalayas are far that we should not worry about the region."
Throughout her journey, Sabrina will also meet judoka and she will be able to talk to them about her life experiences. Committed for many years in Nepal and Bhutan, she will support projects caring for orphans. Hundreds of kilograms of equipment and clothing are already on the way, thanks to the chain of solidarity that she has been able to put in place.
As we publish these lines, Sabrina is already on her way. She has just landed in Kathmandu, Nepal, where she will spend the next few weeks getting ready and making the final adjustments to plans for her amazing adventure, before heading to Calcutta. As she learned in judo, it's not so much the goal that matters, but the journey. On the way, she is getting ready to spread the values of judo. Friendship and mutual respect make it possible to move mountains. The latter, she wants to climb to prove to the world that anything is possible. The IJF and the entire judo family will be behind her from sea level to the roof of the world and as only the sky is the limit, Forever Everest will for sure push that back too.
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