About

My name is Kayla Colgrove, and I will be blogging about how I work towards eating healthy, staying active and balancing life. I am a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Educator, Registered Dietitian (RD), and ACSM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT). Sometimes life gets really busy and makes it challenging to eat healthy and stay active, but it is all about making healthieRDecisions. My goal is to inspire others to live a healthier life through nutrition and exercise.

Growing up I played many sports and eating healthy was not a priority. My passion for sports and my dream of being a college athlete started early. At age 3, my parents enrolled me in gymnastics, and I absolutely loved it. When we moved to a smaller town, I was sad that I could no longer go to gymnastics because it was not offered nearby. So, I became a twirler, rode my bike and played softball in the summer. When I was older, I participated in volleyball, basketball, and track.

I really wanted to be a college volleyball player, but my height was a huge disadvantage even though I could jump. I never gave up and continued to work hard by participating in a summer training program at a local gym and attending sport camps. During my junior year in high school, my javelin career finally clicked. I went from throwing about 110 feet at the beginning of the season to 137 feet and getting 2^nd in state. My coach then told me that I threw far enough to go to a Division I school. I followed my dream and accepted a scholarship to throw the javelin for the University of Nebraska Track and Field team.

Being a Division I athlete, I realized the importance of nutrition and sports performance, and I changed my major to Nutritional Science and Dietetics. When recruited as an athlete out of high school, I never dreamed I would have accomplished as much as I did. I never gave up and kept believing in myself while improving my throwing distance from high school to the end of my college career by 40 feet.

My hard work and determination helped me to become a two-time NCAA All-American, three-time Big 12 Champion, and Nebraska School Record Holder. In 2006, I competed for Team USA at the Norwich Union Invitational in Birmingham, England. My last meet as a Husker athlete was the 2008 Olympic Trials. After college, I continued throwing the javelin as an unattached athlete and qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR. I was excited to make it to day 2 of the competition and finished 11^th place in the javelin finals.

I am married to Nic who is a wonderful, supportive husband. We have a dog named Nala. My husband and I enjoy traveling, working out together, riding our bicycles, walking our dog, and serving at a local food distribution. I also enjoy playing in a city rec women’s volleyball league.

Today, I am determined to stay ahead of a busy life schedule by staying active, eating healthy, and balancing Life.  Always striving for healthieRDecisions.