The lights inside the BT-1 Exhibition Centre in Riga were bright but not nearly as bright as the energy coming from two young judoka sitting side by side, gold medals shining proudly around their necks. Isabelle Everest, 18, and Braydon Robus, 17, had just made history for a second time, defending their European title in Adapted Nage-no-Kata, and in doing so, redefining what strength and partnership look like on the tatami.
It wasn’t just the precision of their technique or the harmony in their movements that stirred emotion in the crowd. It was something quieter, something deeper. The unspoken resilience. The trust. The journey.
“I’m very happy,” Isabelle said simply at first, her eyes lighting up with the kind of pride that only comes from proving something long believed impossible. “Two-time European champions, that’s just absolutely amazing and I am excited to see where we go from here.”
Their club, Westerleigh Judokwai in Bexhill, East Sussex, has been home for years, a place of belonging, of transformation. Isabelle has been practising judo for 14 years, Braydon for eight, but until recently, neither could have imagined they would compete on this kind of stage, let alone top it.
“We worked really hard this year,” Isabelle continued. “We focused on improving my kuzushi, making it clearer that I was in control of Braydon and not just that he was falling for me. We wanted to show that I am doing the technique and not just going through the motions.”
Braydon nodded. “We were working on flow. Getting rid of that momentary pause, just going straight into the technique. Letting Uke lead, then Tori take over seamlessly.” Together, they are fluid. Not perfect but powerful, and yet, perfectly human.
“I thought I would never get to this point”
For Isabelle, this isn’t just a title, it’s a long-awaited declaration. Born with mixed cerebral palsy, she is a full-time wheelchair user. Her diagnosis affects her coordination and balance, and has shaped how she interacts with the world. Yet, in judo, she found something different, a language that didn’t require her to stand to be understood.
“I honestly never thought I would get to this point,” she said, her voice cracking just slightly. “As someone in a wheelchair, I thought there wasn’t a place for me in competition but now, to have a platform where I can show what I am capable of, that I am not just someone sitting in a chair, it means the absolute world.”
She smiled, then added, “For a long time, I was just ‘the girl who lay there and smiled’, but now I get to show the world I can do so much more than that.”
Building a Partnership Through Judo and Beyond
Braydon, too, brings his own story of quiet perseverance. He lives with iris coloboma, a visual defect, as well as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, a combination that made focus and coordination particularly challenging when he first began.
“It was hard at the start to stay focused,” he admitted. “But judo has really helped with that. It has taught me discipline and patience. I have come a long way.”
He and Isabelle are more than just partners on the mat, they are a team in every sense. There’s a kind of unspoken understanding between them that becomes clear the moment they begin to speak, often finishing one another’s sentences, often smiling at the same moment. They train hard but not always with others like them.
“We only really have one adapted competition a year in Britain,” Isabelle explained. “So having this opportunity on a European level is everything. It gives us something to work towards and people to learn from. We have definitely made lifelong friends here and taken away lessons we will carry with us.”
Inclusion in Action
What makes this title so meaningful isn’t just the medal. It’s what it represents. This year’s European Judo Championships Kata in Riga once again included adapted kata as part of its official programme a decision that sent a powerful message across the sport: judo is for everyone.
“To have a proper place in a European Championships,” Isabelle said, pausing for just a moment, “is more than I ever thought possible.”
When the pair made their way onto the mat, the room fell quiet. Not from unease or sympathy but out of something far deeper, respect. Respect for their kata, for their connection, and for a strength that didn’t need to shout to be heard, and when they topped the podium, two teenagers from England’s South Coast, it wasn’t just a title they were defending, it was a belief they were rewriting, showing everyone just how much is possible.
Author: Szandra Szogedi