One of the first experiences Romy Carlson had after she joined Kilo Health was flying out to Lithuania, going to the National Opera and Ballet Theater, and listening to an orchestra during an event presenting the future of health. While she is in no way a newbie in the wellness industry – that was a first.
Romy is always seeking to explore new ways to provide better access to health. “Healthcare, in general in the US, is very mission-driven but also quite rigid. I want to challenge how we have traditionally approached problems and get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Romy says as she begins to explain why she chose the field.
Over 20 years ago, Romy was a freshman in college, struggling to land on “what she wanted to be”. So she went to her mom for advice. Her mom challenged her to ask herself, immediately upon waking the next day, what she wanted to do right at that moment if she could do anything. That thing that she woke up excited and motivated to do was what she should spend her life doing.
As soon as she woke up, she realized all she wanted to do was go running or play tennis. Even though Romy wasn’t going to become a professional athlete, she knew she wanted to dedicate her life to health, wellness, and sports. So she spent most of her career bringing health and wellness into the workplace – but at the same time, embedded sports into her everyday life.
“I have been an athlete my entire life. Both my father and my big sister were collegiate athletes. So sports are in my DNA. I ran track, played tennis and basketball, and have always been up for a bit of friendly competition…” Romy says.
She was a Division 1 varsity rower at Michigan State University and, went on to coach
the sport for several years. She got back into tennis in her late 20s and still plays it to this day. Her team has also competed in tennis tournaments at a national level and even won a USTA National title in 2017, besting 3,400 other teams. Right now, she hopes to go back for another title in 2023.
“One of my most memorable athletic events was running the Naked Mile in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1996. Only at the starting line, I found out I actually had to run the whole race naked except for shoes and socks. I won the race and ran a personal best to get back to my clothes,” she laughs.
On top of her work and training routine, Romy prides herself on prioritizing her family. “My children are four very different individuals, and I am passionate about guiding them into adulthood, helping them find something they love as much as I love staying active.”
She typically gets up at 4 AM every morning, goes to a Bootcamp class at 5 AM, and has meetings from 6 to 8 AM most days of the week. After that, she gets her children ready for school and returns to work by 9am. She also fits in an hour of tennis over lunch, closes out her workday around 4:30 most days.
Finally, she picks up her kids from school and heads out to one of their 18 weekly sports practices. “We spend the weekends between birthday parties and sports events, including baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, horseback riding, rugby, tennis, and even lacrosse. It’s a busy life, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she explains.
Not only does she excel in her professional life and caring for her family – Romy is also passionate about animals. She says that working in animal rescue feeds her soul.
“I was raised on 25 acres of land in Northern Michigan, and my entire family loves animals,” she says. “We always had rescued animals around while growing up. Together with the dogs and cats, we were taking care of geese Horton and Gertrude and even a smelly skunk!”
Romy has volunteered in animal rescues since high school. On top of her four rescue dogs, today, her family also takes care of two degus and 12 fish. She works with animal rescues in the Kansas City area as a foster and volunteer coordinator. At the same time, she supports the organizations with fundraising outreach and event support.
“If you follow me on my personal social pages, you will find 80% of my posts are about rescuing animals,” says Romy.
She remembers that during one of her first dates with her future husband, they saw two large dogs running free on the street. She feared they would get hurt, so she asked him to get them back into their yard.
“The dogs turned on him and attacked! Luckily, my husband is in good shape and agile, he jumped over the hood of our car and safely backed in through the window,” remembers Romy. Finally, the dogs proceeded to go back into their yard through a hole in the fence – and the married couple still remembers the event years later.
Romy says she’s always been a hopeful, optimistic person who loves people, animals, and staying physically active. She grew up in MI, an economically challenged state, and saw the importance of community and standing up for those who can’t do that for themselves.
“As the children of two attorneys turned activists and entrepreneurs, my sisters and I were raised to question the status quo. I get up every day with the hope and goal of making the world a better place,” Romy explains.
Her entire family is focused on community. She found that she could do that most effectively through her work in healthcare and animal rescue while her husband serves in federal law enforcement. They are raising four children who are also socially and environmentally aware, so they can go out into the world and make change happen.
“It is our family mission to be a positive influence in everything we do,” Romy explains. “When you work in healthcare, you get up in the morning for a reason. For me, I want to improve the lives of the people around me.”
The Kilo Health B2B team is looking for at least four people to join them right now. This is a team that brings wellness to the workplace and makes sure everyone in the US can have access to timely and scientific health advice.
Are you as passionate about wellness as Romy? Join her:
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