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About

Strength in body and mind.

Legacy in every step.

Slav, with a beard and a black cap

My name is Slav. I'm the founder of One Step Closer and CbdFit — two businesses built on transformation, resilience and community.

I'm a personal trainer, Hyrox coach, class instructor and HybridNW ambassador, with over 11 years of coaching and 20 years of training myself. I specialise in legacy-driven fitness: technical precision with emotional depth, ritual and comeback energy.

My mission

Fitness saved my life. Twice.

First in 2006, when I escaped addiction, anxiety and street life after arriving in the UK with £70 and a suitcase full of CVs.

Then again in 2021, when I survived near-death experiences and weeks of septic shock.

I've battled PTSD, depression, asthma, heart failure and immune system collapse. I've come back stronger — mentally, physically and spiritually. That's the energy I bring to every client, every class and every race.

Athlete and competitor

I've moved through nearly every fitness identity I could find.

  1. 1. Weightlifter
  2. 2. Strongman
  3. 3. Bodybuilder
  4. 4. MMA fighter
  5. 5. Muay Thai and BJJ competitor
  6. 6. Ultra runner
  7. 7. Ironman triathlete
  8. 8. Hyrox and hybrid athlete
  • 25× BJJ medallist, including British Open Champion
  • Finisher of multiple Ironman races, endurance triathlons such as The Roc, ultramarathons, marathons, smaller running events, Hyrox and fitness races, obstacle runs, and other endurance events
  • Competitor in Thai boxing, MMA, and over 100 running, swimming and triathlon events
  • Enhanced DBS certified to work with children, teens and adults
  • Slav deadlifting in a gym, wearing a black cap
  • Slav in a black gi with a medal, after Brazilian jiu-jitsu
  • Slav with a training group outdoors
  • Slav with his partner and their two children
  • A younger Slav in a black T-shirt, outdoors
  • Slav in the gym, black cap and jacket
  • Slav holding a finisher medal
  • Slav running on an outdoor track

Qualifications

Most of these I use with clients, or on myself.

  • Level 2 and 3 Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer
  • Hyrox performance and level 1 coach
  • Nutrition and naturopath diplomas
  • Clinical weight loss coach
  • Raw food and CBD/cannabis diplomas
  • Massage therapist
  • Pilates instructor
  • Yoga level 3 (in progress)
  • Self-defence and boxing padwork coach
  • Kettlebell and MMA for fitness instructor
  • Level 2 and 3 qualified chef

Coaching style

I ritualise training. Every session is a step toward legacy. The work blends:

  • Strength and conditioning
  • Martial arts and combat fitness
  • Mental toughness and confidence
  • Endurance, resistance and recovery
  • Nutrition, supplementation and cardiac safety

I help clients believe, then achieve. A comeback from injury, race prep, or a change of lifestyle: I meet people where they are and guide them toward where they're meant to be.

Legacy and community

As a HybridNW ambassador and event leader, I build fitness communities around grit and growth. Race notes such as The ROC Scotland 2023 (raced during Storm Babet) and HybridNW Bolton 6.0 (with my wife) are legacy pieces — adversity turned into something other people can use.

I also make motivational content, rap and race reports. The coaching is as much about how someone feels as about the numbers on the session.

Personal life

I'm a father of two, a husband, a godfather, and the owner of two businesses. I love travel, good food, and watching my kids carve their own paths. Fitness is my sanctuary. It's where I reconnect, reflect and recharge.

Services

  • Online coaching in the Fitness Gangsta app (by invite from Slav)
  • Personal and group training
  • Fitness classes
  • Hyrox and hybrid coaching
  • Outdoor training
  • Running, training and meal plans
  • Prep meals
  • CBD supplements
Personal training