About Yulia

I grew up in the Soviet Union, and started sports and gymnastics at age 5. I came from an artistic family, With my Grandmother dancing for the Kirov Ballet and my Grandfather an orchestra conductor. I learned at the sports school in Scherbinka, just outside Moscow. I learned here both as a student, and later as a coach.

During my time there I was on the National Power Tumbling team, and was pan-european champion twice in a row. I continued my life in sport by taking a Sports Medicine degree at Moscow State University. During this time I became involved with acting and drama to supplement my interests in sports.

Later, I started coaching in clubs outside of Russia (no longer the Soviet Union!) and ended up working for a while in Turkey. I returned to Moscow, and by chance met an American working in Moscow. Our whirlwind romance ended in a big Russian wedding, and we moved to the United States.

Once in the US, I took a job at a local Seattle gymnastics club, and started my passion with sport again. After a while, I found another Russian gymnast living locally, and we opened our own club, Metropolitan Gymnastics. Through hard work we have taken our kids all the way to National Championships. But the sport isn’t just about medals, my love of helping teach children is part of why I keep doing this work.

More recently I have also rekindled my love of acting, and am finding that filming, photography, and the people that I meet are bringing me so much joy. I hope you find my work as fun to view as it was to make!

Yulia