Stefan holds a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for teaching in schools in England, awarded by the Department for Education in the UK in 2014.
Founder
This page will introduce you to the founder of Chelsea Gymnastics Academy, coach Stefan. There is so much to be said, so take your time while scrolling through this information, and enjoy the highlighted videos. Many of the links on this page will send you to Stefan's personal website, where you can find additional information about his goals and achievements. So, who is Stefan Kolimechkov? Let's start with some facts.
Dr Stefan Kolimechkov
Age: 36
Born in: Bulgaria 
Nationality: naturalised British citizen 
Lives in: London, United Kingdom
Education: PhD in Physical Education
Position: Director of Chelsea Gymnastics Academy
Occupation: Personal Trainer / Gymnastics Coach
Personal website: www.stk-sport.co.uk
Head Office: Niddry Lodge, 51 Holland Street, Kensington, London W8 7JB, UK
Coach Stefan is the Director and owner of Chelsea Gymnastics Academy. He is a qualified gymnastics coach and he has been teaching gymnastics in London since 2013. His passions in life are gymnastics, scientific research, and his genuine curiosity towards slowing the agеing process. Stefan obtained his PhD degree in Pedagogy of Physical Education from the Department of Physiology and Biochemistry at the National Sports Academy, Bulgaria in 2018. Overall, his research focuses on assessing health-related physical fitness, as well as areas within the field of sport and exercise sciences. Stefan was awarded the Chartered Activity and Health Practitioner status by CIMSPA in 2020. Chartered status is the pinnacle of professional recognition awarded by the sector’s chartered professional body, CIMSPA. Dr Stefan has spoken at many international academic conferences in sports medicine and exercise science around the world, including the United Kingdom, 
France, 
Luxembourg, 
Spain, 
Czech Republic, 
Finland, Bulgaria, 
Romania, and 
Turkey. Stefan has been the Vice President of FIEPS Europe (International Federation of Physical Education and Sport) for Western Europe since 2021.
GYMNASTICS COMPETITIONS
Stefan's maltese cross on the Rings at the 2023 Adult Gymnastics British Championships.
- 3 x London Rings Champion
- Milton Keynes Rings Champion
- 4 x Sutton Gymnastics Academy Rings Champion
- 4th place in the National Men's Rings Final (Bulgaria)
Stefan competed in a few international championships, many national, regional and veteran/adult gymnastics competitions, each of which had its own story and is equally important regardless of its level or competitive rank.
Here are Stefan's gold medals from the 2015 & 2016 London Gymnastics Championships
One of Stefan's most significat events was the winning of a gold medal on Rings and becoming the London Rings Champion in 2015 (watch his routine by clicking on the video below).
Stefan is currently preparing for the 2024 Adult Gymnastics British Championships, and his goal is to win a medal for his club Chelsea Gymnastics Academy in the PRO Over30 category. Full list of Stefan's competitions, ranks and videos from his routines can be found on his personal website STK SPORT.
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- PhD Degree in Physical Education awarded by the Bulgarian Sports Academy in 2018
- Level 3 British Gymnastics Coaching Qualification awarded by British Gymnastics in 2018.
- Chartered Activity and Health Practitioner status awarded by CIMSPA in 2020
- Vice President of FIEPS Europe for Western Europe since 2021.
QUALIFICATIONS
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Stefan holds the Level 3 UK Coaching Qualification in Gymnastics, awarded by British Gymnastics in 2018.
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Stefan possesses a Bachelor's degree in Sports, as well as a Master's degree and a PhD in Physical Education (with a Doctoral thesis on the benefits of gymnastics at primary school age).
In line with his short and long-term goals, interests, and passion for research, Stefan took the decision to pursue a second PhD. He is currently an MPhil/PhD postgraduate research student at the University of Greenwich, London. Stefan's project explorers the effectiveness of microcurrent electrical stimulation and resistance exercise on counteracting the loss of muscle mass and strength which accompanies aging.
Stefan provides a range of services in London through his company Chelsea Gymnastics Academy Ltd. Chelsea Gymnastics is the end product of Stefan's vast practical and academic experience of 20 years in the sport of gymnastics. Stefan is mainly specialising in teaching gymnastics, and he is involved in different scientific projects as an independent scientist.
GYMNASTICS RESEARCH
Stefan presented scientific research related to gymnastics at one of the biggest conferences in the world, including the ECSS congress, ACSM meeting, BASES conference, and others. Probably, one of the most important presentation was the one given at the 2019 ECSS Congress in Prague, in which Stefan presented findings from a study on body composition and nutrient intake of elite rhythmic gymnasts from Bulgaria. The participants of this study consisted of a unique sample of world-class competitors, bronze medallists from the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, and gold medallists from World Rhythmic Gymnasics Championships. You can watch a video of his presentation below.
Coach Stefan spent more than a decade researching the effects of the gymnastics practice on the health-related fitness of children. He published multiple articles as a lead author and co-author in international scientific journals. To read his articles, visit the research section of this website.
MEMBERSHIPS
- Gold Member of British Gymnastics
- Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity
- Member of the American College of Sports Medicine
- Member of the European College of Sport Science
- Member of the European Register of Exercise Professionals
Short Bio
Stefan was born in 1987 in the south-west part of Bulgaria in a town called Gotse Delchev, which is about 200 km from the capital Sofia. Just a few years later, his father was promoted to a Lieutenant Colonel (and later a Colonel) in the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence, and therefore, his family moved to the city of Sofia where he started his primary education. Stefan was lucky enough to have grandparents who devoted their lives to teaching in the Bulgarian school system, thus, he was taught how to read and write prior to starting school. Stefan completed his primary education at Chernorizets Hrabar Primary School No.163 in 2001, followed by his secondary education at the Professional School of Textile and Modern Design in 2006.
In 2011, Stefan obtained his Bachelor's degree in two majors: Sports and Physical Education from the National Sports Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria, and in 2012 he completed his Master's degree in Physical Education at the same University.
In 2013, at the age of 25, Stefan moved to London, United Kingdom, which was one of his biggest dreams. He started working as a gymnastics coach at the Elite Gymnastics Academy, as well as a self employed, providing gymnastics coaching under his sole business STK SPORT. Stefan's teaching qualification is considered comparable to British Master's degree standard by the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC). Moreover, Stefan holds a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for the purpose of teaching in schools in England, and this award was made by the National College for Teaching & Leadership in 2014, which is now replaced by Department for Education and Teaching Regulation Agency.
In 2015, Stefan started a PhD degree in Physical Education at the National Sports Academy in Bulgaria while living and working in London. In fact, most of the participants in his PhD research were primary school children from the United Kingdom. Stefan's PhD thesis focused on the nutrition and the health-related physical fitness of children engaged in artistic gymnastics, and built upon the studies which he had already carried out. In addition, Stefan was also volunteering as a Physical Education assistant at St Edmund's Primary School in London from 2015 to 2018. As a PhD student, Stefan had the opportunity to presented some of his studies at international scientific conferences in physical education, and sport and exercise sciences.
In 2018, at the age of 30, Stefan was officially admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, which he believes to be his greatest achievement in his life to date. Later that year, he was awarded his PhD certificate in a special graduation ceremony at the National Sports Academy in Bulgaria.
In 2020, Stefan accomplished one of his lifetime goals, which was the obtaining of his British citizenship, after passing the Graded Examination in Spoken English with distinction, as well as the Life in the UK test. During his British Citizenship ceremony, Stefan took the Oath of allegience to the Crown, and the Pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom in the Town Hall of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and then he was given his certificate of naturalization. Later that year, Stefan also received his British Passport. At the end of 2020, coach Stefan was one of the first UK's professionals to be awarded the Chartered Activity and Health Practitioner status by CIMSPA. Stefan was assessed against stringent professional membership criteria, and he demonstrated excellence in his skills, knowledge and understanding in the sport and physical activity sector. Chartered status is the hallmark of a qualified and excellent professional in the UK.
In 2021, Stefan passed the IELTS Academic English language test, and after a successful application, followed by an interview, he was accepted for a PhD degree in Human Sciences at the University of Greenwich in London. The aim of his Doctoral thesis is to assess the effectiveness of combining microcurrent and resistance exercise to counteract the loss of muscle mass and strength which accompanies ageing.
In 2022, Stefan founded Chelsea Gymnastics Academy, which is now the successor of his sole trade gymnastics coaching business STK SPORT. Chelsea Gymnastics Academy is the end product of Stefan's vast practical and academic experience of 20 years in the sport of gymnastics.
In 2023, Stefan was recognised as a World Physical Education Ambassador by the FIEPS (International Federation of Physical and Sports Education) Scientific Board due to his involvement with the federation for the last few years. In August 2023, he was accepted and successfully completed the International Summer School ‘Research Methods in Sports Science for Interdisciplinary Approaches’ at the German Sport University Cologne in Germany.
Stefan is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ID # 862559), the European College of Sport Science (ECSS-ID: 26528), British Gymnastics (the UK Governing Body for the sport of Gymnastics), and he holds the Level 3 British Gymnastics Coaching Qualification, and the Chartered Activity and Health Practitioner status in the UK. Stefan also met the criteria and standards of EuropeActive, and, therefore, he was admitted to the European Register (EREPS), and he is currently holding the status of Personal Trainer, EQF L6 - Graduate Exercise Professional.
Here is one of Stefan's best photo on the Rings in 2016.
