Everdan Olegário

Everdan Olegário was born on February 3, 1971, and raised in the COHAB 2 social housing project in Itaquera, São Paulo — a working-class neighborhood that would shape his identity and ultimately define the mission of his coaching career. Growing up in an environment where discipline and structured opportunity were hard to come by, Olegário turned to sport as both an outlet and a foundation.

His athletic journey began with karate at age 10, a discipline that instilled early lessons in structure, respect, and body awareness. By age 13, he had transitioned to basketball, developing a team-oriented mindset and competitive drive that complemented the individual focus of his martial arts training. Boxing, however, is where Olegário first demonstrated serious competitive ambition — earning titles including the FORD champion distinction and recognition in the prestigious 'Copa de Ouro' competition. This diverse background across striking arts, team sports, and contact competition gave him a multi-dimensional physical and mental toolkit that would later inform his philosophy as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach.

Olegário came to jiu-jitsu later than most, beginning his training at age 23 under António Carlos Bergamo — known as 'Tony' — at Cohab Lótus in Itaquera. Entering the sport as a seasoned adult competitor with experience across multiple disciplines gave him a rare perspective on athleticism and accelerated learning, an awareness that would later shape how he taught and mentored others.

At Cohab Lótus, Givanildo Santana guided his development from blue belt to brown belt, marking a formative phase of technical growth under structured instruction. Olegário then joined the renowned TT Academy under Fernando Tererê, one of the most celebrated and influential figures in the sport's history. Training alongside elite-level competitors within that environment accelerated his evolution and raised the standard of what he expected from himself on the mat. Fernando Tererê promoted Olegário to black belt at TT Academy, cementing his lineage within a program that produced some of the most accomplished athletes in BJJ history.

Following the closure of TT Academy, Olegário's team transitioned to Alliance, one of the most decorated organizations in the sport — an affiliation that connects the Cohab program to the highest levels of competitive jiu-jitsu.

Returning to his roots in Itaquera, Olegário established the Cohab Jiu-Jitsu Academy — building a competitive, community-driven program in the same neighborhood where he grew up. The academy became more than a training center; it became a statement about what jiu-jitsu could mean for a community where access to structured opportunity was scarce.

The Nasci Para Vencer ('Born to Win') social project, closely associated with Olegário's work, was originally founded by his first instructor, António Carlos Bergamo (Tony). As one of Bergamo's standout students, Olegário later assumed leadership of the initiative, carrying forward the vision Bergamo had established. The project offers local children and youth a structured environment through jiu-jitsu — a meaningful alternative to drug trafficking and street violence, challenges Olegário witnessed firsthand growing up in COHAB 2.

His personal story lends him authentic credibility with the young people the project serves. Having navigated the same streets and social pressures, Olegário embodies the path the initiative works to create. The Nasci Para Vencer legacy reflects a broader philosophy at the core of his coaching career: that jiu-jitsu is a vehicle for social transformation, not merely a competitive sport.

The measure of a coach is found in the athletes they develop, and Olegário's Cohab Jiu-Jitsu Academy has produced multiple high-level competitors who have made significant marks on the international BJJ scene. From a working-class neighborhood in São Paulo, the program built a genuine talent pipeline — a testament to what community-rooted coaching can achieve.

Sérgio Moraes stands as one of Olegário's most accomplished students, going on to compete and coach at elite levels under the Alliance banner. His development at Cohab reflects the quality of instruction and competitive culture that Olegário fostered. Guilherme Augusto represents another product of the Cohab system, further reinforcing the academy's standing as a serious developmental program on the national and international stage.

Dimitrius Souza trained within the Nasci Para Vencer project environment shaped by both Olegário and Bergamo's foundational work. Souza's black belt was awarded by Sérgio Moraes, illustrating the generational chain of instruction that Olegário set in motion — a lineage tracing from Fernando Tererê through Olegário to Moraes and beyond. This transmission of competitive excellence through the Cohab program demonstrates how a single coach's commitment to a community can generate ripple effects across multiple generations of athletes.