Meet Michelle Kasold: Professional Field Hockey Player and 2017 Sponsored Klean Team Athlete
Photo credit: © Planet Hockey
Hi! I’m Michelle, but everyone in the field hockey world calls me Kas. I grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and was introduced to the sport of field hockey when I was 12 years old. I was an active kid who played just about every sport under the sun, so it didn’t take long for me to pick up something new! I was very fortunate to have coaches that saw potential in me and gave me some great opportunities early in my career. When I was 14, I made the U16 National Team and from there worked my way up to the U19 and U21 teams. The highlight of playing with these teams was definitely playing in the Jr. World Cup in 2005. In the fall of 2006, I earned my first cap with the National Team and it has been a roller coaster ride (a good one!) ever since. I have competed in two Olympics, a World Cup, and three Pan Am Games (winning two golds and a silver). I have amassed 227 caps, scored 35 goals, and competed in 15 different countries against more than 25 nations.
After playing on the National Team for 10 years, I have trained for three Olympics, lived and traveled all over the world, and experienced some truly unforgettable things. One of the biggest challenges in my career was not making the Beijing Olympic team. I was still in my junior year of college and had taken the spring semester off to train for the Olympics. I was crushed after not making the final roster. It was really a turning point for me. After wanting to quit, I decided that it was going to drive me even harder to become the best player I could possibly be. That is really where I had to make sure I was doing everything right, from training harder and more diligently, to eating, fueling and recovering right.
I have always been one to push myself to my limits, but in the right ways. Competing clean is something I am very proud of. Accomplishing what I have and knowing I did it all from my own strength and abilities is so empowering. Teaming up with Klean was a no-brainer for me. They have some of the best products out there and I know I am putting the right things in my body to help me perform at my best!‡
Klean helps me live a balanced and healthy lifestyle.‡ It is only one aspect of being healthy, of course; working out and staying fit are huge components to my life as an athlete. That includes all different types of running (endurance and speed), strength training and cross-training. I love being active and competing at any sport, so being able to mix up my training with other sports, biking, swimming, and yoga is imperative to keeping my life balanced. Eating right and staying hydrated are huge factors in allowing me to get the most out of my workouts and my days. I prefer to eat low-carb and low-sugar, and stay away from processed foods as much as possible. This includes cooking a lot at home and being creative with new recipes! I also can’t live a healthy lifestyle without enough sleep! In full training, I need 9-10 hours of sleep! It is very demanding. When I have some down time, I try to get 8-9 hours of sleep. It is so important to allow my body to recover from the hard work and also energize me for the next day ahead. Finally, being balanced in life means mentally, too. Taking a break from hockey to spend time with family and do other things I enjoy helps balance out the intense training demands. One of my favorite escapes is going on hikes with my dog, Kora!
Klean has so many great products. It is hard to just pick one favorite because I really do like them all! I would say the products I use the most in my training are the Klean Electrolytes™ and the Klean Recovery™. Klean Electrolytes™ helps keep me hydrated and feeling fresh during my workouts.‡ Klean Recovery™ is key to my recovery! It really helps me stay strong and recover quicker.‡ And I just love the chocolate flavor! It is like a treat after my training, but I know it is good for me!
I have been taking some time away from the team for this year and am hoping to return by the end of the year. I have gotten to spend a lot of time with my family and get to coach a lot of the youth players in my hometown in NC! It has been a good change of pace to recharge. Without a doubt, Klean products are helping me stay healthy and strong while I train on my own.‡ The team will have a few tournaments this summer for World Cup qualifying. Be sure to follow my outstanding teammates as they continue to push the boundaries at the highest level! Hockey is a fun game to watch!
Photo credit: © Planet Hockey
You can follow Michelle on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and her website.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mkasold18
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkasold18
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellekasold
Website: https://mkasold18.blogspot.com
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