How it all started…

The story really began in 2005 with Sabrina Filzmoser’s first trip to Nepal to hike and climb in the Solu Khumbu Everest region. While the Himalayan mountains were impressive, it was the people, their culture, and their way of life that fascinated Sabrina even more. For example, poor families from remote areas send their children on dangerous footpaths for more than 90 minutes each way to school every day, regardless of the weather. The desire to support these children was always in Sabrina’s mind, but it often had to be set aside for sports-related reasons.

Then came the 2012 London Olympic Games… A medal was the goal, but she only managed to place 7th, and the disappointment was accordingly great. But in London, the next key step toward the Himalayas presented itself. During the closing ceremony, Sabrina made contact with the small team from Bhutan, and they began talking about judo…

In the small mountainous Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, wedged between the large neighboring countries of India, China, and Nepal, there is a school where the principal Karma and his Japanese wife Rie teach judo to children, raising them according to the philosophy of Jigoro Kano. The high ethics and values of judo reflect the traditional, respectful, and humble lifestyle of the Bhutanese very well. Bhutan is known for its innovative Gross National Happiness (GNH) development policy—Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.

Despite strict visa regulations, Sabrina managed to assemble nearly 300 kg of sports equipment and bring it to Bhutan. Since then, she has vowed to continue supporting this breathtaking small country. Bhutan is now a full member of the International Judo Federation, the Japanese embassy helped fund the construction of a dojo (training hall), and the Seisagroup company in Japan provided scholarships for two talented young Bhutanese judokas to study at a university in Hokkaido.

Starting with supporting the school in Bhutan, the Everest Judo development project has since expanded across borders and now also supports schools and children in Nepal—including many orphans and children with disabilities. In 2022, thanks to Sabrina’s initiative, the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality incorporated judo as physical education in all schools in Khumbu.