JHB South East - May 2022

challenge
Raceview’s Olia Voronkova is the true image of ‘challenge accepted’.
As a young girl from Russia, she braved the US, where she met the love her life. We chat
with Olia about motherhood, business and her six years in South Africa.
She never knew that when she arrived in the US to work at a
summer camp, her journey will bring her to South Africa.
At the age of 19, she set off to work at a summer camp in
New York, where she met Konrad, who came all the way from
South Africa.
‘We fell in love. One can truly say it was love at first sight. We
went through the long-distance relationship and a break-up
that lasted six years. After graduating from my university, I
moved to New York, then Colorado, then Los Angeles and at
that point, we decided to give it another try.
‘Konrad visited me in LA. I took him to Las Vegas and we
celebrated New Year’s in Big Bear in the snow. I then visited
him here in Johannesburg and we travelled to Mozambique,
Mauritius and Cape Town.
‘It all felt like we never said good-bye those long six years ago,
so we decided to give it another try. Konrad sold everything
and moved in with me in Los Angeles. We stayed there for
about two years, then I fell pregnant and we decided to move
here, closer to his family.’
But not only did the long journey bring her to her new home,
it also brought her to a place where she started a business in
doing something she loves.
For Olia, the past six years has been challenging but
also exciting.
‘I worked corporate for two years, but it wasn’t my thing. I
then studied and started teaching Pilates, the type of Pilates
I fell in love with in LA. It is hard core, large equipment Pilates
that makes your heart race, makes you sweat and makes even
your nerves tremble.
‘I studied with second-generation master Pilates instructor
Natasha Madel, who studied with one of the first disciples of
Joseph Pilates - Romana.
‘And here I am. Teaching Pilates full-time to my clients at a
fully equipped boutique studio in Mulbarton.’
Finding her niche
‘You know, I always loved fitness and having a healthy lifestyle.
When I was 12, I used all my pocket money to buy this book
that promised to help me ‘grow an extra 5cm. I’ve always
been a shorty, so it bugged me a lot back in the day.
‘I don’t know if those exercises actually helped, but since then
I jumped on the fitness wagon and never stopped.
14 Get It Joburg South • Alberton • Bedfordview • Greenstone • Modderfontein May 2022
Always up for a
GIS0506_014_1149806906.indd 14 2022/04/21 08:11:33