Helen Radulovic is a self-proclaimed fan of taking the long path: “It will help you become stronger, more experienced, and prepared for all the challenges life brings upon you.” Her cut-no-corners personal journey has taken Helen from her native Serbia to running her own private gym in the East Village by way of a medical degree, a job in construction, and a wine bar in Queens. When she’s not with clients — which is rare —, she can be found strolling Tompkins Square Park with her husband or reading classics by Dostoyevsky and Camus. We talk to Helen about uprooting her life mid-thirties to move to a foreign country, turning her basement into a walk-in closet, and why she doesn’t subscribe to traditional communist ideals about women and family.
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on her morning routine
I’ve made it a major life task to stick to my strict routines. On weekdays, I open my training facility at 6am — especially post-covid, everyone’s going back to work early, so I train clients back to back until 11am. I don’t do regular workout routines of my own but usually find time during the day. The mornings are always dedicated to my clients. On weekends I work, too, but I start a little bit later. My local coffee shop opens at 6:30am — my husband wakes up and brings me my oat milk cappuccino. And that’s something I always start the day with.
on her upbringing in Serbia under communism
Growing up in Serbia wasn’t hard at all. Our story was a small, tight-knit family story. My parents did their best at giving us everything we needed. Serbians are known as people who know how to enjoy life, which is part of a European upbringing. It’s not only work, work, and work. I think society has a really strong impact on the idea of family as a whole. In communism, the family always works together, parents with children and grandparents — I felt that a lot as a kid. So everyone was very present, we were hanging out with friends and having a nice life.
We weren't restricted from anything, unlike my parents’ generation. Things had changed for the better when I was born in ‘74. We could travel and meet all our educational cravings in terms of learning more, visiting other countries and cultures, and being able to enjoy life at that point — the country was opening up to the world. Communism also left me a lot of space to pursue further education, especially in reading literature and poetry. My mom is a literature professor and had a huge impact on my life.
““Don’t cut corners or try to walk the short path. Take a long one — no matter how long it takes, it will always be a successful one. It will help you become stronger, more experienced, and prepared for all the challenges life brings upon you.””
on moving to New york city
In a certain way, communism brought me here — but not in a bad way. It was just that I didn’t want to subscribe anymore to a society that doesn't leave you much space to be a single woman. That's what communism was. It proposed a model of a very strict family: mom, dad, and kids. Kids should be educated, they should go for the same job as their parents, get married at an early age, and have their own children. So in my thirties, my parents were like, it's time for you to have your own family — we never suffocated you, but with this, we would like you to follow our own path. Obedience plays a huge role in a communist society, so hearing that and making a different decision was hard.
At that point, my sister started being very supportive and saying I should maybe come to the US and give it a try — she’d been living there for her studies. I went back and forth visiting her a lot and always went home because I missed it and never fully liked New York.
What eventually made me settle here was my marriage. I met my husband through my sister and that was the major turning point in my life, coming here and getting married. He was divorced and already had a daughter in the US from a previous marriage. We were on trial for a year because I was going back and forth to Serbia because I really wanted to figure out how to organize my life. In the end, I had to compromise on the homesickness because my husband really made it clear that he wanted to take a part in his daughter’s upbringing. It’s a communist treatment we all carry. I’m very happy I made the decision to stay with him.
““I was very explicit in the decision to not have children. I think there is a particularly strong bond and attachment among couples with no kids. It’s a more “centralized” emotion that does not disperse. Mutual trust and support in each other’s decisions are key. I have no regrets — I just try to share everything and not keep secrets. I simply look at it as the tightest friendship I need to preserve.””
on making life in America work and transitioning from being on the path to becoming a doctor
When I came to the US, I already had six years of medical experience on top of a cum laude university degree plus a year of internship back in my country. But to practice here, I would have had to obtain a new medical license, which probably would have taken me up to two years. I wasn't ready for that. And so I asked myself why would I go through that process all over again? What am I going to prove?
I was very independent back in my country and just wanted to find a job. That’s what communism prepared me for. Nobody can take your education. But if you find yourself struggling, you’re going to do whatever it takes, right? It’s not something you have to be ashamed of. I used my sister’s connections to find a job in a wine bar in Queens. The place was owned by my husband’s friend. I was pretty much managing the business, which I had no clue about. But for some reason, the guy liked me — he loved the fact that I was educated and that I knew the language and could communicate with people. That’s how I got my start.
on building her business and running a gym
After my husband and I made some money through our construction business in 2019, I decided to start my own gym. I found the space because my husband's client is the landlord. That helped in negotiating rent, which is a major financial part of every small business. In the beginning, I was just working to cover that.
Oddly, I was never scared. I thought if I made the original concept work, it could be a very good, local place. I wasn’t going for anything big. I targeted the neighborhood because it’s so friendly and close-knit, and everyone gets along. If they see that something is of value they will always support and that’s what slowly happened with me. The first few years were hard. By the third, I got a good, full picture of what I needed to do and I started making money and getting more and more clients. After COVID, more people were drawn to training in a private facility.
““I naturally have an aggressive approach to fitness. I was always into Muay Thai, but wasn’t fighting at first — just training and trying to learn from people with experience. That changed when I met my coach in 2018. He is half Thai, half Chinese. I just fell in love with the sport and started training very intensely to make up for lost time. I was almost forty. But with Muay Thai, you get more successful the more you mature as a fighter, which leads to long careers. I like to incorporate a little bit of self-defense for women in my fighting style, but I also use a lot of original techniques.””
on aging
I have to be honest — aging scares me! I guess I'm no different than other women experiencing it. But I'm happy with my profession. That satisfaction as well as being my own boss (as an immigrant in a foreign country) certainly gives me the confidence to tackle getting older. I would also say that aging should be defined in its own simplicity — it is just a number. People still think some major changes will happen and there is a lot of fear. But what we witness every day is the fact that signs of aging can be “adjusted” and “overturned” if we have resources. Cosmetic surgery tells it all.
on her beauty routine
My rule is to never wear make-up. Professionals help when it comes to maintenance and I’m very open to plastic and cosmetic procedures. As far as the products, I try to avoid famous brands and choose more organic and homemade ones. I use Kiehl’s Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream, this Clarins Super Restorative Treatment Essence, Brooklyn Grooming’s Blue Velvet Face Serum, and EVE LOM cleanser. I also always make sure to include calcium, magnesium and multi-vitamin tablets by Kruger. But I'm always going by the advice of my beautician who is completely familiar with my skin type.
on her style
My style is pretty much determined by my job, as I spend most of the day working at my fitness studio. I would simply describe it as casual. Sneakers are my “signature and must have” piece in my wardrobe. I think sneakers are potentially the most fashionable item in the closet because they go with everything — and I own a collection. My Muay Thai outfit is traditional Thai — I wear Thai shorts, which are pretty much colorful and authentic for this sport and always match with ankle supporters and hand wraps. Most of my casual outfit is Moncler. I only have 2 pairs of Versace leggings and and I love Zanotti shoes, but no stilettos. Only flats.
““My favorite person in the neighborhood — the owner of SOS Chefs spice store, who has become my friend. She’s a mother of two who currently trains in my fitness studio. Her name is Atef, she is Tunisian, and has been living in the US for over 30 years.””
on her home and turning her basement into a walk-in closet
We live in an old building with the typical East Village vibe, apartments with an exposed brick wall, no elevator, no fancy amenities but clean, nice, and quiet with a private backyard that only belongs to us. That is definitely the pearl of our household. The walk-in closet was my husband’s idea. As a person who’s been in the construction business, he has always been “practical” about finding solutions for small, tiny spaces which are part of life in Manhattan. It didn’t take me long to start putting my clothes down there and slowly take over.
on her favorite books
I still go back to classics like Dostoyevsky, but I love Camus and Oscar Wilde too. My 4 favorite books are: De Profundis by Wilde (one of the greatest and most complex love letters ever written). The Stranger by Camus (I love the way the absurdism of life has been presented, Instruments of Darkness by Robert Wilson (that evokes the atmosphere, politics, and people of West Africa) and, of course, The Brothers Karamazov written by Dostoyevsky. I also love Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. A History of Ancient Psychiatry by Giuseppe Roccatagliata and this book on bipolar disorder in children are ones from my studies that I keep going back to.
helen’s favorite spots in new york
Restaurants: Veranda Soho is the one we frequent the most because of outdoor seating. But I love Macao & Nowon in our neighborhood.
Store: Chrome Hearts jewelry store on Washington St.
Café: 9 Street Espresso.
Hairdresser: Chérie Salon. My French friend owns it, and I love getting my hair done there.
Parks: Tompkins Square and Battery Park.
Cultural venue: I love visiting all those small alternative theatres in our EV neighborhood located on 4th Street, especially La MaMa experimental theatre club.
images and interview by clémence polès