"Here children feel like they are in Belarus." Sambo World Champion Stepan Popov opened a sports club in Wroclaw

Today, Stepan is developing his own sports club, SP Club Wrocław, which is already generating profit. He told spravy.io a story about Belarusian solidarity, the challenges of emigration, building a Belarusian place in Poland, and a little bit about artificial intelligence.

"I analyzed that a lot of money needed to be invested, and it wouldn't pay off quickly."

For a person who dedicated their entire life to elite sports, emigration became a serious test of resilience. The path to his own business didn't start in Wroclaw. Stepan initially planned to stay a month in Turkey — he considered it a good place to gather strength, but ended up living there for almost half a year.

He then moved to Ukraine, just two weeks before the start of the full-scale war. He had to flee from danger again — this time to Poland. He consciously chose Wroclaw: his elder daughter wanted to enroll in the Czech Republic, and this city is conveniently close to the border.

Павялічыць

Stepan doesn't hide that the initial period was difficult due to the state of uncertainty.

— I worked as a personal trainer, drove a taxi, but didn't feel any stability. It seemed like, here you are in Poland, you're safe, but my departure from Belarus somehow dragged on. Returning home — it's still unknown when. And so I was in some kind of suspended space: I was doing projects, organizing volleyball tournaments, two festivals, children's camps, competitions… But all the time there was a feeling that it was temporary.

Павялічыць

Everything changed suddenly. Stepan's acquaintance, who managed a sports hall, decided to sell her business and asked for his help.

— It was a functional training gym (TRX, CrossFit) in a rented building. Not my area, I didn't want to do that, but then I thought: what if I made a martial arts hall here?

Павялічыць

Stepan began to interview familiar wrestlers, calculate possibilities, and finally decided to make this a place, perhaps for a stop, but a more permanent one:

— I analyzed that a lot of money needed to be invested, and it wouldn't pay off quickly, but it would be an opportunity to develop further. At that moment, I was confident that the Belarusian community would help me with the first clients, and friends and acquaintances would help with the renovation of the hall.

Павялічыць

"I just generated the interior idea with ChatGPT."

Stepan immediately understood: if everything was done "according to the price list," the business might not withstand the burden. Safety required large expenditures: the walls had to be covered with special mats, and these works alone, at market prices, cost about 40 thousand zlotys.

Next – preparation for painting and many other complex technological processes, and all of this means expenses. Plus, even during renovations, it was necessary to pay for the rent of the premises. But here, Belarusian solidarity and the world champion's previous volunteering in numerous initiatives in Poland came into play. As a result, costs were reduced by 4-5 times.

Павялічыць

— We have many Belarusians here, — Stepan says. — One deals with metal products — he did everything according to the project, we brought and installed these structures ourselves. A girl does upholstery (leather covering) — she found us cheap leather of good quality, gave us her tools, and we did everything for a very good price. A Belarusian guy who works here on a construction site prepared the walls for painting and didn't take any money at all.

The club founder designed the interior himself with the help of artificial intelligence, and his acquaintance, Ukrainian artist Anastasiya, brought the idea to life.

— I just generated the idea with ChatGPT, — Stepan smiles. — And the artist refined it for our columns and arches. She literally lived in the hall. I drive by at night — I see her painting a samurai, and a sleeping bag is next to her. Now, I don't want anyone to come near that wall — so much effort has been put into it.

Павялічыць

According to Stepan, such support was not accidental, but a result of his previous work on uniting the community:

— I organized events for Belarusians, and they responded. And people keep reminding me: if you need help, call. Everything here is done by the hands of good acquaintances — Belarusians and Ukrainians.

"Children get very tired of foreign languages in schools and kindergartens."

Currently, Stepan's club has about 70 children. This is a good result for a hall that only opened last December and not during the "recruitment season." For many emigrant parents, this place has become a salvation, as it addresses not only physical fitness but also psychological comfort.

— This hall is as if you live in Belarus. You come — everyone here is your own, you speak your own language, — Stepan explains. — Children get very tired of foreign languages in schools and kindergartens. They need an environment where they can simply relax their minds and do what they enjoy. We have such a Belarusian-Ukrainian-Polish environment, and children feel maximally comfortable here.

Павялічыць

The hall has become an important point on the map not only for locals: recently, a delegation from Ukraine — 70 children from the Kyiv club of World Champion, President of the Kyiv Judo Federation and deputy Georgy Zantaria — traveled through Wroclaw for competitions in France. Ukrainian athletes came to train specifically at Stepan Popov's hall.

Павялічыць

— We, Belarusians and Ukrainians, are very good friends in sports, — says Stepan. — It was an honor for us to host a team of such a level. Georgy Zantaria is a legend: World and European Champion, head of the Athletes' Commission of the NOC of Ukraine. I am very happy about our acquaintance and that he turned to me specifically to host his team in our hall — which I did with great pleasure. The fact that they chose us for preparation shows that we create the right atmosphere.

The club's founder remains true to a champion's approach. He created a special system — "Select Team." This is a group for children who are self-motivated to work for results. They have the opportunity to be here up to six days a week. Children's groups are often coached by two world-class trainers at once — Stepan and his colleague Dmitry, also a Sambo World Champion.

Павялічыць

Stepan takes a sober view of things and differentiates between training future champions and regular classes:

— There are children who are focused on results. Here's one boy who came: thin arms, no natural talent. But he works hard himself, his eyes are burning. I'm sure he'll achieve something — he can already do five pull-ups. And then there are those whose parents force them to come. For them, there's a separate group, they play more there. Such groups are also needed — they cover the commercial side so we can pay rent.

"I need everything to work perfectly, because this is more than just a business."

Stepan Popov continues to be a "playing coach." Even after launching his business, he remains an active athlete. Now his new challenge is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

Павялічыць

— I will be 42 this summer. In ordinary sports, you are already "old" at 32, but Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu allows you to compete at any age, — Stepan explains. — Here I see people up to 65 years old with such abs! They are flexible and technical. This extends youth and inspires me.

Now Stepan has a new sports goal — to reach a black belt in this type of wrestling, and an amateur level is not enough for a champion:

— I want to be competitive with people who have dedicated their whole lives to this. I want that I, as someone who has been in Sambo all my life, can win by their rules. I would really like to go to America for the World Championship, but that means a visa, costs, and serious physical preparation.

But while America is somewhere in new goals, Stepan's daily reality is his gym in Wroclaw, where his champion's character manifests in every detail. Stepan doesn't hide that he is meticulous about order:

— I chase everyone here about slippers, about dust. I need everything to work perfectly, because this is more than just a business. Even if you trained until night, you can still come at four in the morning to sweep and check everything. This is my place, I am responsible for every corner here.

Павялічыць

To the question of where he gets inspiration and strength, he answers — from public projects:

— New work, new ideas. I'm the kind of person that once I commit, I want to do it as well as possible. Not just competitions for the sake of competitions, but a mutually supportive sports festival. I can't do it any other way, and that's how I recharge.

Future plan: bike parking, three flags, and a fair play wrestling gnome

Many are surprised that a business newcomer in Poland was able to "take off" so quickly: the hall, which opened only half a year ago, is already making a profit. From the black walls of the former premises, it has turned into a center for the Belarusian community.

— Was it difficult? I set a goal and went for it, — says Stepan. — Sometimes you train until night, in the morning you let in the builders, and then you have to clean up everything after them to a sterile state so that the children can train barefoot in peace.

Павялічыць

There are many plans ahead: to finish the interior, build a bike parking, and get the massage room in order. Absolutely — to hang three flags: Belarusian, Ukrainian, and Polish. But Stepan looks broader: he wants to install a projector, watch movies, organize Belarusian dances or Zumba.

— The hall works 24 hours, you can even hold discos here! — the Belarusian lights up, but immediately switches to reflecting on the future: — I'm curious: will we adapt so much that after some time we will become Poles? Or will something change and some part will return? This hall is as if you live in Belarus. It's like our culture is preserved here.

Even the symbol of the city — the famous Wroclaw gnome — Stepan, if he were to dream, would want to make special. It should be a wrestler carrying another wrestler on his shoulders — a reminder of Stepan's own act when he carried an injured competitor off the mat and received the world Fair Play award.

— We created our community here. People get motivated, I get motivated myself, I set new challenges for myself. Belarusians come, drink coffee, talk — everyone here is one of us. That is the main result.

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