Brookfield's Hidden Gem

Finding one elite level coach in any sport is like finding buried treasure. It is a rare and special opportunity, but Brookfield is lucky enough to have become the home of two! Tucked away on Old Grays Bridge Rd lay Brookfield’s hidden gem, Kratos Fitness & Acrobatics. Owned and operated by Mihael & Ashley Anton, Kratos specialize in the fields of fitness, acrobatics, and gymnastics at the recreational, and elite competitive level. Among many positive attributes, what really sets Kratos apart is the unique and extraordinary background experiences of their coaches.

At only five years old Mihael was diagnosed with a life threatening illness and given only a few weeks to live. After his unbelievable recovery, Mihael was asked by doctors to start doing a sport in order to regain his strength and mobility. Mihael chose the sport of gymnastics which he not only developed a love for, but also a burning desire to become a champion. Within two years after beginning gymnastics, Mihael had already become a pommel horse Gold medalist with the score of a perfect 10! In only two short years he went from needing help to move and being too weak to stand on his own; to becoming a Champion in what is said to be the hardest sport in the entire world, in a country which is famous for having the best athletes in the sport. Throughout his career he continued to make great strides in his gymnastics career, winning many National Titles and training on the Romanian Olympic Gymnastics Men’s National Team as a Junior & Senior.

After receiving an offer to train in Cirque du Soleil, Mihael left gymnastics, and moved to Canada where his artistic and acrobatic talents were highlighted while he trained to perform in Cirque du Soleil shows. His areas of expertise we the flying trapeze, Russian swing, and the aerial hoop. His experience enlightened him to conditioning which was specific to each athlete’s needs in order to prevent and rehabilitate injury. Although he loved the company, training, atmosphere, and everything about his experience with Cirque du Soleil, he returned to Romania to begin coaching gymnastics.

In 2002 Mihael was awarded his Bachelor’s Degree in Sport specializing in Artistic Gymnastics from the National School of Coaching in Bucharest, Romania. In a short period of time he became one of youngest most highly decorated coaches in the country; training gymnasts with multiple National & International Championship titles; most recently his former gymnast, Diana Bulimar, competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in the team competition.

Mihael’s most recent coaching accomplishment is in a sport other than gymnastics... He is currently the coach of the 2011 Ms. Fitness National Silver Medalist and 2011 Ms. Fitness International Bronze Medalist, (co-owner of Kratos) Ashley Del Monte Anton.

Ashley started gymnastics at the age of eight and went on to win many state and regional titles through level 10. After retiring due to injury, at only fifteen years old, Ashley began coaching her own competitive gymnastics team in a gymnastics center owned by her parents. After seven years of personal physical inactivity, she met Mihael and was inspired to live a healthier lifestyle and to start competing fitness. She began training to compete in July of 2010 and entered her first competition only three months later in September where the judges were so impressed with her performance that they featured her in the spring 2011 edition of Ms. Fitness Magazine. From here she took the industry of competitive fitness by storm when her grace, poise, and physique only became more spectacular. During each competition she was determined to not only stun the audience with her physique and acrobatics, but also to inspire them through her words, “Stop setting small goals for yourself and stop assuming what is impossible for you; because if you can do those two things, you will find many things are possible for you that you never even dreamed of! Small goals only lead you to a small life, but big goals lead you to endless possibility”. She trained by those words and after only one season of competing, she now holds the title of 2011 Ms. Fitness National Silver Medalist, and 2011 Ms. Fitness International Bronze Medalist.

A love of gymnastics, coaching, and a little bit of fate is what brought Ashley & Mihael together. They decided to exemplify their similar passions by creating a Fitness & Acrobatics business which stands apart from the rest - not only because of the level of technical instruction or creative training given; but because of the overall lifelong education that can be absorbed through each training. Their ultimate goal as coaches is not only to give the best physical/skill related results to their students, but most importantly to first develop a strong, self-confident, & self-respectful mind; which in return gives each student the ability to acquire a strong, beautiful body, and the tools to make any dream they may have, no matter the size, come within grasping reach.