"Javier and the mountain", a documentary about the ascent of Everest by Javier López, who has cerebral palsy. "Lo Imposible Awards" by the Urbegi Foundation

• It is the challenge of the first edition of the Urbegi Foundation's "Lo Imposible Awards". which seek to pay tribute to the spirit of self-improvement for the integration into the labour market of people in vulnerable situations.
• The feature film tells the story of how last December 2022 the zallatarra Javier López reached Everest BC together with the professional mountaineer Alex Txikon; a project that combines the dream of its protagonist to feel the highest mountains on the planet with the search for visibility of people with cerebral palsy.
• The documentary has been produced by Palamont Films and Fundación Urbegi with the sponsorship of Orbea, BBK and Fundación Arteche and is directed by Rodolfo Montero de Palacio and Mario De Benito.
• In the coming weeks, the challenge of the "Premios lo Imposible" 2023 will start, which will take the three winners to cross the Atlas Mountains by bicycle.
• The Urbegi Foundation is already working on the 3rd edition of the Awards, whose call for entries will be open until 30 April through www.urbegi.com.

The highest mountain on the planet, Everest (8,848 metres), is the setting for "Javier and the mountain", the documentary film that tells the story of Javier López Pagazaurtundua, a Biscayan with cerebral palsy, who reached Everest Base Camp (5,364 metres), together with the professional mountaineer Alex Txikon.

The feature film takes up the challenge of the "Lo Imposible Awards" 2022, which recognised Javier for his bravery and courage in the face of life despite the cerebral palsy he suffers from. These awards are promoted by the Urbegi Foundation together with the Arteche Foundation, BBK and Orbea and seek to recognise stories of overcoming obstacles in the integration into the labour market of people in vulnerable situations or at risk of exclusion.

"Javier y la montaña" is a documentary on social current affairs, produced by Palamont Films and the Urbegi Foundation, sponsored by Orbea, BBK and the Arteche Foundation, and directed by Rodolfo Montero de Palacio and Mario De Benito. EITB and TVE are also taking part in the film.

The first edition of the Urbegi Foundation's "Lo Imposible Awards" brought Javier and Alex together. The chemistry between them was immediate. The idea of the joint expedition came about completely spontaneously. Out of the blue. And from there, to Nepal. Together every step of the way, last December 2022, they managed to complete the challenge of Javier reaching the BC of Everest. An extraordinary adventure that an involved and professional film crew followed every step of the way, and which has resulted in the documentary "Javier and the mountain".

A different kind of feature film that tells the story of Javier's difficulties in fulfilling his dream: to feel the highest mountains on the planet, and at the same time give visibility to people who, like him, belong to vulnerable groups. A life that Javier describes as "extraordinary and luminous despite the difficulties".

It wasn't easy, nobody said it would be, but Javier achieved his dream by overcoming his motor difficulties, the blisters on his feet and the fatigue of each stage of the trek that left him exhausted, but immensely happy to have overcome the challenge.

The production team is currently working on a plan to show the film in cinemas with the support of secondary schools and various associations linked to the social and labour insertion of people with disabilities.

Rodolfo Montero de Palacio, director, scriptwriter and producer from Cantabria, who was introduced and initiated in the film industry by his teacher and compatriot Mario Camus, who produced his latest film "El prado de las estrellas". He has made some twenty feature films and as many short films and documentaries. He has received prestigious awards, including two Goyas. One of his latest works has been the direction and production of TVE's "Gigantes".

Mario De Benito, renowned composer and director. His work is the soundtrack of such renowned films as "La piel que habito" by Pedro Almodóvar; "No habrá paz para los malvados" by Enrique Urbizu or the series "Cuéntame cómo pasó".

Javier López Pagazaurtundua, born in Zalla in 1969, soon began to collaborate in the family business. He trained as an administrative assistant and, after the death of his father and the retirement of his mother, in 2012 he set out on his own path and began his career at the Aspacelan special employment centre. In 2019 he took up the position of treasurer on the Board of Directors of Aspace Bizkaia. In addition, that same year he stood in the municipal elections in Zalla. Javier is actively involved in giving visibility to people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

Alex Txikon, internationally renowned mountaineer from Bizkaia. He has 11 of the 14 eight-thousanders to his credit. For more than a decade he has focused on winter Himalayan expeditions, his latest achievements have been the summit of Nanga Parbat (2016) and Manaslu (2023) in the middle of winter and without oxygen. He also combines his activity with the practice of Basque rural sports and numerous social actions through different non-profit organisations.

Atlas Mountain Bike Challenge 2023

Javier's trip with Txikon to the Himalayas planted the idea of an annual challenge with the winners of each edition. Thus, in the coming weeks, Iván Darío Henao, Leire Indurain and David Fernández - winners of the second edition of the "Lo Imposible Awards", held in 2023 - will set off for the Moroccan Atlas Mountains to cross it by bicycle with Orbea Sociedad Cooperativa.

Iván Darío Henao was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the age of 17. Born in Colombia, he moved with his family to Spain when he was very young. Although he did well at school, he had problems in secondary school. Thanks to his stay in an occupational centre, he improved his social and personal skills, gaining access to Vocational Training and, subsequently, to the workplace through internships. In March 2020, coinciding with the start of the pandemic, she joined the IMQ Clinic in Zorrotzaurre as a caretaker, overcoming all her fears and difficulties. She currently has a rented property with an option to buy which she dreams of exercising soon.

Leire Indurain was born with spastic cerebral palsy. In addition, both her father and mother have a recognised intellectual disability. This circumstance, among others, has given her the ability to overcome all kinds of challenges. Thanks to his tenacity, effort and inexhaustible optimism, he managed to enter the job market and is currently part of the staff of Urbegi Social Impact. She is a restless person, who participates in different projects to help people with disabilities and is perceived in her environment as a true example of overcoming challenges and the ability to adapt.

David Fernández was involved in personal, work and economic circumstances that have made him live in a very complicated situation for several years, until, in 2017, he came into contact with Bizitegi, the association that works in favour of people in a situation of social exclusion. From then on, and thanks to the help she received, her situation improved. In 2022, she got a job as an administrative assistant in the municipal company Bilbao Ekintza, returning to the labour market after a long time. She has also recently passed a degree course at the UPV-EHU, and continues on the path of self-improvement in search of new opportunities.

The Impossible 2024 Awards

The Urbegi Foundation is already working on the 2024 edition of the "Lo Imposible Awards". This will be its third edition, through which it reaffirms its commitment to the promotion, encouragement and dissemination of actions aimed at favouring the integration into the labour market of vulnerable people or those at risk of exclusion. The call for entries will be open until 30 April, and applications can be submitted via the Urbegi website (www.urbegi.com).

The Urbegi Foundation was set up in 2010 by Urbegi, a company from Balmaseda (Bizkaia) based on a model in which social vocation takes precedence, and which operates in the fields of industry, services and social transformation, employing more than 600 people at its plants in the Basque Country and Mexico.

Urbegi defends a business model committed to the economic and social development of the territories in which it operates. It considers itself to be a dynamic agent that promotes a broad social impact through the social integration of groups that are preferential for the public administration and associations.