Running Her Own Race: Khanaila Kielo's Inspiring Story

Speed is something Khanaila Kielo developed a reputation for early in her life.

Growing up in Apple Valley, Kielo, as she's widely known, started to distinguish herself as a strong sprinter as early as 8 years old, and then throughout her career at Apple Valley High School, as well as into college.

But challenges in her personal life and in track over the years have greatly tested her, and Kielo isn't as in a hurry anymore as she steadily leans into her faith to reverse her early reluctance to connect, share and make decisions around her work, including with Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

"I finally got to a point, literally maybe a year and a half ago, to where I can share this story and not be affected," Kielo says. "It took a lot of healing. It took a lot of praying, and it took a lot of growth to be able to do that."

Off Track

Kielo excelled at track, and she also played basketball for six years growing up. And though faith was present in her home and at school through FCA, she didn't tap much into her faith as a teenager.

"I was a very reserved person," she says, "and I just did not go out of my way to talk to people, at all."

Kylie Peterson was an Apple Valley High graduate who who was shining with the University of Minnesota track and field team, and she was invited to join her alma mater's coaching staff. She had led workshops and camps, but Apple Valley High provided her an initial entry into coaching.

She told the high school athletes she might be a little "intense" because, as a rookie coach, she was going to tap into her college experiences and give them hands-on training.

Kielo resisted Kylie's coaching.

"We did not get along whatsoever," Kielo says. "I was the fastest on my team, and she was not telling me what I wanted to hear. If I messed up, she would tell me exactly what I had messed up and how to fix it."

That's not what Kielo was looking for.

Sometimes, Kielo exploded in anger at Kylie, yet the coach always kept her composure.

"She goes, 'Why don't you yell back at me?' " says Kylie, whose last name is now Haselhuhn. "And I'm like, 'That's not who I am, and that's also not how I want to treat you. Because at the end of the day, if you need anything, you're always going to be able to call me."

Kielo headed to North Dakota State to join its track team, and she was impressed by the the school's vibrant FCA presence. Athletes from nearly all the sports participated, and appreciated that it was a genuine community. She started to integrate elements of her faith into sport, but her joy was short-lived — injuries started to sideline her and forced her to question who she was.

"Track was my whole identity," Kielo says. "When that left, I just was left with not knowing who I was at all."

Kielo ended up transferring to Upper Iowa University, but injuries continued to derail her promising career. In addition, FCA wasn't active at the school, and her spiritual life took a step backwards. By the end of college, Kielo was emotionally and spiritually exhausted, and she opted not to return to Minnesota but instead follow a relationship to Chicago.

There were a few different possibilities, with one clearly more secure than the other. But Kielo picked the more financially uncertain one: Restarting the FCA Huddle at Apple Valley High School.

But in conversations with a mentor, Kielo realized just how full-circle this challenge was going to be.

The mentor insisted that Kylie would be key to success.

Kielo resisted, even asking the mentor to talk to Kylie for her.

The mentor's response: It's time to grow up.

When Kielo finally got her nerve, she called Kylie and informed her that she hoped to start the FCA Huddle back up at Apple Valley High School.

"I think it would be nice to get you on board," Kielo told Kylie.

"Absolutely!" Kylie responded.

Kielo was a bit suspicious, since they hadn't gotten along years earlier. But when they met at a Panera Bread a few days later, they ended up talking for two and a half hours.

"I was like, 'Wow, look at all these reconciled relationships,' " Kielo recalls.

Kylie, though, is equally grateful. She learned valuable lessons while working with Kielo and other athletes in that first stint as a coach, and she was humbled that Kielo would provide another opportunity to connect.

"I was thankful for her being my Mary because I'm very much a Martha," Kylie says. "That was an answered prayer, to be able to not only share life with her, but also to share our faith in a way that was just iron sharpening iron."

Restarting the Huddle

Caiden Mitchell is a junior at Apple Valley High School, and he's played football and baseball, and he also runs track. He vividly recalls his first conversation with Kielo because it centered on faith.

"She seemed like a really approachable person to talk to because she knew a lot, and she seemed like a reliable person to have a conversation with," Caiden says."I'm always willing to try to understand more and try to grow my faith."

Caiden says a lot of student-athletes at his school were excited that Kielo was trying to restart the FCA Huddle at Apple Valley High School. The first meeting was on Oct. 8, and Caiden says Kielo brings organization, thoughtful conversation starters and creates a safe environment.

"It's just a place where we can all be open with each other and not really have to shade out part of our life," Caiden says. "We can just be open and honest with everybody there."

Caiden also appreciates the depth of the conversations, which Kielo helps progress with thoughtful questions.

In December, an anonymous threat closed down five schools, including Apple Valley High School.

"The devil's not going to win," Kielo recalls thinking. "We're still doing this Huddle. I don't know how, but this is happening."

Kielo worked the phones for hours, making sure she could still have the Huddle, though she'd need a new location and make all the arrangements. In addition, she'd have to quickly communicate with the students.

That evening, at a nearby church, students gathered for the Huddle, and they talked about their fears and thoughts in light of the shooting threat.

Caiden says the Huddle has delivered all that he had hoped.

"It's actually helped me like get through things easier because it's helped me grow my faith," Caiden says. "It just showed me that I can't take things for granted because not everybody gets the opportunity, and I just have to be grateful for the opportunity that I have, to be focused on what I'm doing."

Kielo's humbled by the kind words about her impact, and she realizes that her race is no longer measured by stopwatches and awards. In addition to Apple Valley High School, Kielo will also be serving other surrounding South Metro communities.