Meet the Team
Ross McFarlane
Coach
Career Highlights
- Represented Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
- 5th place at the Commonwealth Championships 2013 in Johannesburg
- Two-time British Champion (2013 & 2014)
With 25 years in the sport, Ross started at Milngavie Wrestling club in 1999 under David Scott jr/snr. He has been coaching for over 10 years, helping develop Scottish Wrestling Rising stars and leading kids classes. Check out the BBC's feature on Ross HERE.
Vasile Jornea
Coach/Team Manager
Experience & Achievements
With 30 years of wrestling experience from his junior days in Moldova to seniors in France, Vasile brings extensive knowledge to Scotland. As a former wrestler and current UWW Referee, his achievements include:
- Team Manager for the 2018 Commonwealth team
- Organized the most successful training camps in Scottish wrestling history
- Led the organization of Scottish Championships, recognized as the best competition in 2023 & 2024
- Led Scotland to Home Nations cup trophy victories in 2021 & 2023
Arthur Iskenderov
Coach
Experience & Role
Arthur brings his expertise to our coaching team, focusing on developing technical skills and fostering a competitive spirit in our wrestlers.
Christelle Letchidjio
Coach
Experience & Achievements
Introduced to wrestling by her PE teacher in Cameroon, she transitioned from football to pursue her passion for the sport. She has 14 years wrestling experience from her time in Cameroon. She represented Cameroon at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before settling in Scotland.
Christelle won multiple Scottish, British and English championships and is undefeated in domestic competition between 2014 to 2021. At that point she officially joined the Scottish team representing at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.
Not only an athlete but has also earned her coaching & refereeing qualifications. She is committed to advancing wrestling development throughout Scotland by engaging and empowering both youth and senior athletes with her story. Christelle's personal goal is to encourage more women into wrestling and inspire future generations in Scotland
David Connelly
Coach
Career Highlights
- Commonwealth medallist in 1986
- Over 25 years coaching experience
- Part of the coaching team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
- 20+ years competitive experience
Vladimir Gladkov
Coach
Career Highlights
- Trained in the Soviet Union
- Led German teams to Bundesliga victory
- Head coach of 4 Scotland Commonwealth Games teams
- Delivered 2 Bronze medals at Commonwealth Games
Honey the Badger
Mistakes are part of my journey, I will succeed if I keep trying!
Honey is a lightweight wrestler who's quick, energetic, and always fun-loving. He loves getting fit and never shies away from trying something new, even if he doesn't get it right the first time!
Favourite wrestling move - Double leg attack
Favourite exercise - Hill sprints
Most valuable skill - Fearless about failing!
Komodo the Dragon
The fight isn't over if I fall, its only over if I don't get up!
Komodo isn't the fastest on the mat, and sometimes he's late to training. He can be a little stubborn and doesn't always listen to his coach, which makes things harder for him. But once he steps into a match, he's got the heart of a fighter and never gives up.
Favourite wrestling move - Fireman's carry
Favourite exercise - Hill sprints
Most valuable skill - Tough as his own scales
Pride the Lioness
It's not over if I lose, it's over if I quit.
Strong and fierce when on the wrestling mat. However, she is the calmest off the mat. Pride does breathing exercises as well as visualising her wrestling moves before a big match; this gives her confidence in herself.
Favourite wrestling move - Headlock throw
Favourite exercise - Sit ups
Most valuable skill - Meditation & visualisation
Grey the Silverback Gorilla
Tell your mind you won't quit, and your body will adapt!
Grey is both strong and smart, always analysing his performance to learn and grow. He's always first to arrive at training and last to leave, driven to keep improving every day.
Favourite wrestling move - Arm drag
Favourite exercise - Anything he can beat Paws at
Most valuable skill - Quick strategic thinking
Paws the Bear
Don't stop when you''re tired, stop when you're done
Paws is the most powerful of the team. He takes on his opponents and uses his superior strength to pin them down. He enjoys going to the gym with Honey the Badger who is always cheering Paws on to do his best.
Favourite wrestling move - Suplex
Favourite exercise - Pull ups
Most valuable skill - Never giving up
Tusk the Elephant
Tusk is our referee, always making sure that a match is taking place fairly, and that both competitors are following the rules.
Click on Tusk to find out more.
