Xavier Dolino Memorial page
This page is dedicated to Xavier Dolino, who passed away with Leukaemia at the age of 37. He was a Senior Fitness4x4 Trainer and an inspirational Health Pioneer. This page has been set up to honour Xavier in a unique way.
In the last three years, Xavier was hit with Leukemia three times, and three times told he would probably not survive. With massive personal resolve and commitment to fighting the illness with fitness & good nutrition, rather than with drugs, he defied the odds and recovered to full health twice. Not merely surviving the illness, but returning to world-class competition and to a truly inspiring and contagious level of fitness and vitality. The third time it struck his body was not able to withstand it.
However, in his last days in the hospital, he continued to motivate and teach those around him. That was Xavier. He kept lifting his dumbbells and training in the best way he knew, no matter what life threw at him. And to his dying day, he continued to create energy, in defiance of what the disease was trying to do to him. It is this spirit and this commitment to physical vitality that we want to honour on this page.
A short video clip has been put together by Fitness4x4. It features photos & video of Xavier from our recent archive and has been put together over the song ‘Monagri’, which was a favourite song of Xavier’s, written by his friend and fitness colleague Rajko Radovic.
If you knew Xavier the video will remind you of his passion for life, for fitness, for teaching, for his friends and for having a positive impact on the health of everyone he encountered. If you didn’t know Xavier, hopefully, you will still get a sense of the very same thing.
His mentor and friend Dragan Radovic has invited everyone who knew Xavier (or would simply like to honour him) to perform 100 continuous lifts of any dumbbell. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing – take 5 minutes from your schedule to do these 100 lifts. To take a minute’s silence to remember the man…then take 5 minutes of physical action to honour what the man stood for. It is absolutely what he would have wanted.
If you would like to be part of this commemoration or share your story of Xavier, please send us your own personal comment and we will add it to this page.
87 responses to “Xavier Dolino Memorial page”
Xavier,
I completed my 100 lifts in Vancouver on Monday for you. I know you were watching over me when i did them. Thank you so much for inspiring me with my training, for educating me, and for being in my life in Dublin for 2 years. It was always a pleasure to work and train with you
Xavier was a truely inspirational guy who was totally dedicated to leading a healthy lifestyle and being fit and healthy. I remember when we were all in Dublin in early 2008 for the HOP course (I believe that was the date). He was always so friendly and had time to chat and just hang out, answering my many questions on things – mostly fitness related. Of course I was also inspired by how utterly ripped and lean he was. He was so extremely dedicated to Hour of Power and how he had helped to change peoples’s lives by following it.
I remember the encouragement I received from him to pursue my own fitness goals, we were able to chat in French back at his place on one of the evenings about anything and everything (also remember being a bit scared of his large but actually friendly dog).
I am really saddened as he always had time for me and everyone else, we kept in contact via email now and again.
Such a sad loss and so young.
Missing a friend is always a hard thing. I am deeply saddened by this bad news. Xavier was such a wonderful person and will be greatly missed.
I miss you too much my love………….
Hi Chiara,
I am so sorry for your loss. You dont know me but myself and my husband Jeff heard a lot about you. Jeff was with Xavier the last two days of his life in serbia. He didnt know that was his last two days but who ever knows when they are going to die. He spoke very highly of you and how he was happy to have met you. There is nothing anyone can say about this great loss and why we have to loose such a good person. My only consulation is thinking that they needed another fitness instructor up there and needed a leader and chose him and we have to let go. It isnt fair, we will never accept it but we have to let go and hope they are happy whereever they have gone to………
Xavier you were and are a true ledgend and stories about you will be told for years and years and years to come and you will never be forgotten! Rest in peace…….
I now my brother have many friend and i want thank you all of you to honour him
Thank you
Daniele,Jose, Fabrizio Dolino
I briefly met Xavier in the Club Vitae in Dublin, he always came across as a very very nice polite person .I am shocked to hear he is gone; it’s truly unbelievable…
Rest in Peace Xavier…
Dear Xavier, I completed my 100lifts at the time of your funeral in Italy, on top of a hill near my place in England, and imagined you were lifting alongside me. You had a great passion for the Art of exercise and the Gracefulness which can exist even within something as seemingly mundane as fitness training. This is something which we will always remind people of in our training method, and we’ll remind them with reference to you my friend…because it really was your unique contribution.
I met Xavier in Dublin at this gym classes, and visited him when he had to go to hospital for his treatments. My favourite memory of this time was asking the ward matron where his room was, and her telling me that even when he was at the peak of his illness, he had taken the time out to write out a nutrition plan for her to help her lose weight.
He will always be remembered by our family as a great trainer and a sincere Friend.
We’re delighted that he shared his life with you Chiara, and are very sorry for your loss. Are his parents alive and will they be able to read these testimonials? They should be very proud of their son and the life he led.
Yes Brian, his parents are both still alive but I don’t think they will be able to read it…………..UNFORTUNATELY……………..
100 on 22.5kg completed tonight in my kitchen.
I first met Xavier at Bodypower back in 2009 and have seen him each year since at Bodypower. He was always happy to see you and chat, you could tell he was very enthusiastic for Fitness, he was a very genuine nice guy, also he never wanted to miss a good photo opportunity.
It’s hard to believe, as he looked and lifted so well back in May this year.
Bodypower won’t be the same without Xavier.
Sei entrato nelle nostre vite per insegnarci qualcosa che va oltre la normale attività fisica, tu non ci hai insegnato solo a sollevare i pesi, ma ci hai anche preparato a saper reagire a momenti bui come questo… il 4×4 non è una semplice disciplina ma è una forma di conoscenza del proprio corpo, farlo arrivare a limiti di sofferenza che solo la forza di volontà poteva contrastare. Tu ci hai donato quella forza che da ora in poi ci farà andare avanti sensa di te e sempre per te, ogni volta che impugnerò un manubrio avrò il tuo sorriso e la tua voglia di vivere sempre davanti a me, un ricordo indelebile di una persona che ha fatto tanto per me come per tutte quelle persone che lo hanno conosciuto veramente. A presto PERSONAL