Shelestov was born on 25 May 1971 in the village of Talovaya, Voronezh Oblast, Russian SSR. His father was a railroad engineer, and his mother a schoolteacher. He became interested in sports while attending school, where he played soccer and was fond of wrestling. In high school, Sergei began to concentrate on athletics and spent much time in the gym. His passion to the power sports began to grow, and he started independently to seek out methodical literature and had developed programs for himself that effectively train certain muscles. At that time, he was seriously engaged in powerlifting, and obtained his first achievement in sports—the Candidate to Master of Sports in powerlifting before joining the Soviet Army in 1989.
Career
Bodybuilding
His first amateur competition as a bodybuilder fell on the years of his military service, when he participated in a local championship, and won the honorable place. Thereat, Shelestov realized that bodybuilding is his true calling, and decided to devote himself to it. In May 1992, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Army became the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and Shelestov rose to the rank of captain before leaving the service in 1996. In 1993, he became the third in the NABBA Russian Championship, losing the 1st place to Sergei Ogorodnikov. A year later, Shelestov retired from military service and moved with his wife Irina to Moscow. In the capital, he met up with a famous coach, Mikhail Golovnev, who became not only his coach, but also his promoter and manager. Sergei had changed several jobs for the first years in Moscow, from a guard to a personal trainer. For a long time, he worked in the fitness clubRhein at the Kuntsevsky District of Moscow. Shelestov participated in the IFBB Moscow championships, where he took the 1st place from 1995 to 1997. The real fame and success came to him in 1998, when Sergei won the Cup of Russia, and then the World Amateur Bodybuilding Championship. In the autumn of the same year, he became the absolute champion of Russia. In 2001, Shelestov received a Pro Card and participated in two professional tournaments. In 2001, Sergei ranked 11th in the Grand Prix England. In 2006 he became the 3rd at the Grand Prix in Romania. Then there was a lull in his career until 2005. It was related to household problems, at the same time, Sergei continued to train and maintained his shape during that period. In 2006, he again received Pro Card and became a participant of several pro-tournaments. In 2007, Sergei Shelestov performed at the Arnold Classic, Mr. Olympia and Ironman Pro 2007. His best result was the 8th place in the Arnold Classic, he became the 26th after that competition in the IFBB Men's Bodybuilding Professional Ranking in 2009.
In 2000, Sergey Shelestov became the Moscow Champion in Powerlifting and took second place in the Russian Powerlifting Championship. In 2000, he set a record in the bench press - 250 kg and squats - 365 kg.
Family
Sergey Shelestov is married to Irina Shelestova, a former Russian fitness star. They have a daughter, Olga, who was born in 2007.
