Meet Our Director & Head Coach
Coach Stefan: Leading the Way in Gymnastics Excellence
Discover the journey and achievements of Dr Stefan Kolimechkov, our Director and dedicated Head Coach, committed to nurturing the next generation of gymnasts in Kensington and Chelsea.
Coach Stefan
Stefan Kolimechkov holds a PhD in Physical Education & Sports from the National Sports Academy in Bulgaria. His doctoral thesis explored the health-related effects of gymnastics on primary school children. With a robust academic background and numerous certifications in coaching, Stefan has dedicated his career to advancing gymnastics education. His qualifications include a Level 3 British Gymnastics Coaching Certificate, which underscores his commitment to excellence and safety in sports training.
Professional Experience
2022 – Present
Director / Head Coach
Kensington & Chelsea Gymnastics Academy, London, UK
Leading the coaching team, Stefan has developed comprehensive training programmes that have significantly improved the skills and confidence of young gymnasts. His innovative approach has been instrumental in the academy’s success.
2013 – 2022
Gymnastics Coach / Personal Trainer
STK SPORT, London, UK
Under his self-employed business STK SPORT, Stefan taught gymnastics and fitness to personal clients in London (both children and adults) as well as group gymnastics classes to some schools and clubs.
2015 – 2018
Gymnastics Coach
St Edmund’s Primary School, London, UK
Stefan ran the school’s gymnastics club, providing gymnastics coaching to children from Key Stage 1 (5-7 years of age) and Key Stage 2 (7-11 years of age) at the sports hall as part of their extra-curricular activities from January 2015 to July 2018.
2013 – 2020
Gymnastics Coach
Elite Gymnastics Academy CIC, London, UK
During his tenure, Stefan focused on foundational gymnastics skills, ensuring a strong technical base for young athletes, which laid the groundwork for their future success in competitive gymnastics. Stefan’s gymnasts at the Elite Gymnastics Academy won certificates, medals and trophies from club and regional gymnastics competitions in London.
2008 – 2012
Gymnastics Coach
Levski-Spartak 08 Gymnastics Club, Sofia, Bulgaria
Stefan worked as a gymnastics coach for 5 years at one of the biggest and oldest sports club in Bulgaria. During these years he gained coaching experience in parallel with the theoretical courses as a university student. Stefan had a huge success in his club, coaching primary school children to compete at regional, national and international level, as well as teaching recreational gymnastics and preparing large gymnastics performances.
Moments Captured in Coaching
Stefan Kolimechkov in Action
Stefan's contribution worldwide
Dr Stefan published scientific research in sports science and sports medicine in peer-reviewed journals, and he presented his findings around the world, speaking at the most prestigious conferences, including the ACSM Annual Meeting in the USA, and the ECSS Annual Congress in Europe. Here is some of his contribution.
Stefan presented findings from a study on body composition and nutrient intake of elite rhythmic gymnasts from Bulgaria at the ECSS Congress in 2019.
ECSS Annual Congress
Scientific presentation
Stefan published gymnastics kinematic analyses in the Science of Gymnastics Journal to further our understanding of the sport of gymnastics.
Science of Gymnastics Journal
Peer-reviewed article
Stefan spent years researching the benefits of gymnastics training on young children and defended his doctoral thesis on the topic in 2018.
University
Doctoral Public Defence
Honors and Achievements
2024
Fellow of the European College of Sport Science
For making a significant contribution to the development of sports science.
2023
World Physical Education Ambassador
Awarded by the FIEPS (International Federation of Physical and Sports Education) Scientific Board.
2020
Chartered Status
Awarded the Chartered Activity and Health Practitioner MCIMSPA (ch) status.
Join Our Gymnastics Family Today!
Discover the exceptional coaching and nurturing environment at the Kensington & Chelsea Gymnastics Academy. Give your child the opportunity to thrive under the guidance of our experienced coaches and enjoy the UK’s best coach-student ratio for recreational gymnastics of 1:4. Contact us now to learn more about our programmes and how we can help your child reach their full potential.