 His mother was a housewife and father worked for the national railway carrier Căile Ferate Române; he did not do any particular sport, but was a strong man weighing 100 kg at 172 cm height.After completing a school in Galați Vlad moved to Bucharest.Between 1991 and 1996 Vlad lived in Australia and competed for it at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and two world championships during this time.