Swiss jiu-jitsu athlete battles back from coma to compete at Abu Dhabi World Pro

 Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Switzerland’s jiu-jitsu athlete Gionathan Campana took to the mats at the Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship, part of the 16th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship at Mubadala Arena.

Representing Jiu-Jitsu School Ticino, Campana competed in the Men’s GI / Black / Master 3 / 85kg division, marking an extraordinary comeback to competition after a life-threatening injury that left him in a coma.

The 41-year-old’s passion for jiu-jitsu began over a decade ago. 

“I’ve been practising martial arts for several years, and around 12 years ago, I started with jiu-jitsu,” he said. “I immediately fell in love with it and continued training consistently, even when I couldn’t find a teacher nearby.” 

With no coach available, he kept training on his own, eventually earning his brown belt two years ago when he found a teacher, and his black belt this year.

Four years ago, an accident nearly ended his sports career. “It was a bad injury that put me in a coma,” he recounted. The injury forced a hard reset on his life, refocusing him on recovery and the future.

“When I woke up, I decided that I had to get back in shape and that I wanted to do something great for myself … so I decided to resume my jiu-jitsu training. Above all, I wanted to teach my daughter that nothing is impossible.”

Campana has since returned to competition with a new determination, traveling to compete in Abu Dhabi. “So I am here to participate in my first ever Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, I totally liked it. Here’s to many more years of participation, hopefully,” he added.