Padma Rigzin was born to a nomadic family living in a small village called Kargyam Kherapulu in the Ladakh region of Indian Himalaya. He failed his 10th class board exam and joined an alternative learning institute called SECMOL where his whole understanding of education changed. After graduating from college, he worked as a tour guide for two years. He then started working for an NGO called Health INC. where he worked as an education coordinator and Ice-Hockey coach. Together with some like minded youth he founded the youth association of Kargyam, specifically to improve the education system in his village. In winter the association organizes free ice-hockey coaching and education camp for more than 100 students for two months.