With his electrifying strength—and perky sidekick, little Chihuahua Scooby—Sarasota’s hand-balancer Christian Stoinev wowed them this fall on America’s Got Talent, making it to the top 12. A fifth-generation circus performer and at 22, already a veteran international entertainer, Christian says the TV show was “a physical and emotional rollercoaster,” but the contestants all bonded “like family.” It’s already boosted his career, but he admits, “Your body can’t do this forever,” and eventually he hopes to work as a sports broadcaster. As for Scooby, though he’s 11, “he lives young,” says Christian, and is “totally in shape.” For any off days, though, Scooby already has an understudy, a youngster named Percy, who actually appeared on a few episodes of the show.

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This article appears in the November 2014 issue of Sarasota Magazine. Click here to subscribe. >>