Three years ago, Danilo Yavhushin trained every day at a gym in his hometown of Vinnitsia, in central Ukraine. Danilo was 17 and a somewhat unusual boy, having excelled in judo and Greco-Roman wrestling. He had told his parents and coaches that he wanted to change disciplines: he wanted to try sumo after seeing a live exhibition. Yavhushin had enjoyed Japan's most sacred sport so much that, with the help of a judo coach, he built a training space similar to the dirt arenas where sumo matches are held. But everything changed when Russia attacked Ukraine three years ago. Because Danilo was a minor, he wasn't supposed to go to the front lines. He and his family managed to flee to Germany after witnessing Russian missiles strike their city, damaging the gym where he trained. It was then, in the midst of his escape, that Yavhuschin sent a message: "Can I come live in Japan?" The message was received by Arata Yamanaka, one of the best young sumo wrestlers. The two had met at a Junior World Sumo Championship when they were only 15 years old. They had exchanged contact information and kept in touch. "I thought it would be a shame to end my sporting career after the invasion," he explained in an NHK television documentary. "I liked sumo, and I felt I should try to compete in sumo somehow, given the path I had chosen," he added. So he asked Yamanaka for help, and Yamanaka responded. He took him into his home and arranged for him to train with the team at the prestigious Kansai University, where Yamanaka was the captain. After a few months, he managed to be accepted into the Ajigawa stable, based in Tokyo, although initially they didn't want foreign wrestlers. At the highest level, athletes live in these so-called stableThese are a kind of club where young people live, cook, do housework, and train hard, learning discipline through sometimes harsh training methods. The young Ukrainian learned Japanese and worked hard, earning the opportunity to participate in increasingly important tournaments.