Meet our team
Dora brings a unique combination of elite athletic experience, coaching expertise, and a deep understanding of human movement. Her journey began in gymnastics, where she became a Croatian National Champion, before transitioning to tennis, where she also achieved national titles and competed successfully on the international stage.
Following her competitive career, Dora moved into sports management, contributing to major international tennis events, including the Davis Cup and the ITF World Tennis Tour. This experience deepened her understanding of high-performance sport and athlete development.
Driven by her passion for movement and coaching, Dora pursued formal education in fitness, graduating with degrees in Fitness Coaching, Pilates and Yoga (200 hours RYS) Instruction. During her studies, she was mentored by Asja Petersen and completed her internship under her guidance before joining her coaching team.
After two years of coaching experience at Asja Petersen studio, Dora and her sister Paula opened their own studio. She continues to expand her expertise through ongoing education, including Professor Stuart McGill's work, while remaining under the mentorship of Asja Petersen.
Dora’s coaching philosophy is built on efficient movement, precise technique, strength, and control. She designs dynamic and challenging sessions that help clients build strength and capability, while her defining quality is her ability to listen. Every program is tailored to the individual, combining technical precision with each client’s goals, abilities, and lifestyle. Her aim is not only to make people work harder, but to help them move with greater confidence, resilience, and purpose. Dora’s motto is balance.
For Dora, great training means building a body that performs well in everyday life and under pressure. Strong, adaptable, and built to last.
DOROTEA MATULIĆ KRALJEVIĆ
Functional, pilates, POWER YOGA
ASJA PETERSEN KRALJEVIĆ
STRENGHT TRAINING AND PILATES
Asja Petersen is a pioneer of Pilates and functional movement education in Croatia, credited with introducing the Reformer and establishing one of the region’s first dedicated Pilates studios in 2003. She is the founder of one of Southeast Europe’s most respected and long-standing Pilates and movement studios, as well as the owner of Equilibrium Fitness Academy.
With over 30 years of experience in elite sport, fitness, and education, she has played a key role in raising industry standards across the region. After completing her Pilates certification at the renowned Anne Marie Cova School in Milan in 2001, she returned to Zagreb and introduced a new approach to movement training, shaping the foundations of modern Pilates practice in Croatia.
A former Croatian national bodybuilding athlete and two-time vice national champion, Asja represented Croatia at the World and European Championships.
Her international experience also includes leading the “Keeping NATO Fit” program in the Netherlands.
She has worked with elite athletes such as KHL Medveščak players and Olympic rowing champions Valent and Martin Sinković, and continues to advance her expertise through collaboration with leading specialists in spinal biomechanics and human performance, including Professor Stuart McGill and Rebecca Leone.
At the core of her work is her signature methodology, Focus Point—a system based on movement quality, precise technique, strength, stability, and intelligent mobility, designed to improve efficiency, performance, and long-term physical resilience.
Strict in standards yet warm in approach, Asja is known for her ability to inspire people to exceed their perceived limits, with a unique skill for clearly communicating and simplifying complex movement principles into practical, applicable knowledge.
MARIJAN KRALJEVIĆ
STRENGHT TRAINING AND PILATES
Marijan Kraljević comes from a strong sporting lineage. His grandfather, Marijan Kraljević “The King,” served as Honorary President of the Croatian Bodybuilding Federation and received the highest international recognition from the IFBB, including a gold medal for his contribution to the development of bodybuilding in Croatia. Continuing the family tradition, Marijan built his own competitive foundation in sport, earning a bronze medal in judo at the Croatian University Championships in Zagreb (U73 category). He has also explored endurance cycling and rock climbing, which remain his personal passions. In addition, as a personal challenge, he regularly participates in marathons and Ironman races, combining endurance sport with a lifelong commitment to movement and performance.
He completed his formal education at a fitness academy and further developed his expertise in Pilates and strength training under the mentorship of his aunt, Asja Petersen, refining his coaching approach through hands-on practice and high-level experience. By the age of 30, he already brings over a decade of professional coaching experience, leading both group and individual training sessions at a high-performance level.
Marijan also works at the Polyclinic for the Protection of Children and Youth of the City of Zagreb, where he focuses on developing motor skills and sensory integration in children.
His coaching style is defined by movement mechanics and strength, supported by a strong interest in cardiovascular conditioning. Known for his positive energy and sense of humor, he creates an engaging training environment while consistently challenging clients to work efficiently and effectively.
For Marijan, training is simple: move well, work hard, and make every minute count.
MARKO MATULIĆ
STRENGHT, FUNCTIONAL AND PILATES
Marko's journey into coaching began through competitive sport. As a junior, he played ice hockey for KHL Medveščak before shifting his focus toward academics, earning a degree in Economics. During that period, boxing and strength training became his greatest passions, laying the foundation for his future career in fitness.
After university, Marko built a successful career in the event industry. He launched his own highly successful event concept, Amnesia, and later worked at Entrio in sales and project management. Even today, he occasionally contributes to major events such as Ultra Europe and the ATP Croatia Open Umag.
In 2021, Marko transitioned fully into the fitness industry.
After completing his formal education as a Fitness Instructor, he joined the Dora Body Studio coaching team. Alongside coaching, he also serves as the studio's Operations and Business Manager, overseeing partnerships, sponsorships, strategic development, and the day-to-day management of the studio.
His coaching focuses on strength training, aerobic conditioning, and movement control through Pilates principles. Every session is designed to be technically precise, effective, and tailored to each client's abilities and daily readiness.
Known for his sense of humor and relaxed coaching style, Marko makes demanding workouts feel enjoyable. He won't let you negotiate your way out of the hard work, but you'll leave every session glad you showed up. His philosophy is simple: training should be purposeful, efficient, and adapted to the individual - delivering results while keeping clients motivated and coming back for more.
, he manages the complex logistics and scheduling that allow our instructors to focus entirely on personal transformation. His minimalist approach to organization keeps our environment peaceful and focused.
BARBARA KRALJEVIĆ
MAT&MOODS, YOGA TEACHER
A former dancer, Barbara has worked with movement from her young age. Her yoga teaching is rooted in traditional Hatha and Vinyasa yoga. At Dora Body Studio she also includes Power yoga elements in her flows. Her approach is influenced by Iyengar Yoga, with an emphasis on alignment, and longer holds. She prefers clear, purposeful sequencing over complicated or purely creative or playful flows.
Barbara completed her 200 Yoga Teacher Training in 2020. Since then, she has continued her education through theory learning, workshops, and studies with teachers including Talia Sutra, Travis Eliot, and Eddie Stern. She has completed a 100 Yin Yoga training and is currently undertaking a 300 YTT.
She sees yoga as an ancient body of knowledge exploring the connection between body and mind, and believes that as teachers and practitioners, we can only borrow from wisdom—we do not own it. Yoga itself carries a depth and power far greater than any individual teacher. Our role is to practice, study, and pass on what we have learned with respect.
She believes yoga as any practice requires consistency, discipline and effort. Strength training can complement yoga, and a strong body can support the practice. Flexibility is not a requirement to begin nor the purpose; students often develop it through consistent practice.
She will not encourage flexibility without strenght, rushing into advanced asanas, or sacrificing alignment and controlled breath for a particular shape. She aims to create a safe space where students can practice without having to perform.
Yin Yoga holds special place as deeply personal part of her practice. She often describes it as a form of medicine and for her - life changing experience. What may appear to be “doing nothing” can have a profound effect on both body and mind. Its benefits are rooted in ancient Chinese wisdom while increasingly supported and explored through modern science. Yin offers a different kind of strength - still but powerful and many times as a mirror - of our moods and emotions.
Alongside yoga, Barbara has a professional background in international relations and diplomacy, working across different Government institutions and international organizations (currently as a PR and Protocol professional) with different cultures and communication styles. This experience has strengthened her teaching skills but also her practice - leaving her curious about different traditions, and philosophies.
And yes, she encourages you to use blocks and stay for the Shavasana, even if you feel like skipping it.
Barbara is our yoga teacher and an external collaborator, bringing her expertise and passion for yoga to our community. Alongside her work with us, Barbara runs her own yoga platform, where you can explore her approach, classes, and practices. Take a look at her platform here and discover more about Barbara and her work.
The Space of Movement
Our studio is a safe space where every session is crafted to resonate with our core philosophy: a clean mind and power from inside. We believe that true strength begins within, nurtured by a disciplined environment and high-motivation vibes. From the moment you step through our doors, you will find a warm, welcoming community dedicated to your personal growth and physical empowerment. By blending a supportive atmosphere with clear focus and intent, we ensure that every client feels secure to explore their potential. In Dora Body Studio nothing is too much , everything fits. Only what is essential, necessary and functional stays.
