(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next day’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from June 15, 1989).

By Pattie Mihalik

TIMES NEWS Staff

What began as an “accidental discovery” for Palmerton teacher Kevin Kolodziejski turned him into a “fitness master” and launched his career as a specialty writer.

When Kevin was a sports standout at Muhlenburg High School, he didn’t give much thought to the way nutrition affects athletic ability. When he contacted a serious case of mononucleosis, he paid closer attention to nutrition so he could rehabilitate faster to get back on the basketball court.

“What I discovered then was there is a keen relationship between nutrition and athletic ability. When I cut back on meat and paid attention to nutrition, I discovered I had a higher energy level.”

In college, Kolodziejski confirmed for himself the link between nutrition and athletic performance.

Since then, through research, personal discovery and experimental programs, the Palmerton man has learned how to enhance athletic performance through fitness programs, appropriate exercise programs and proper diet.

He makes use of that information both for his own athletic performances and to help others through coaching and writing fitness articles.

Starting this week, Kevin’s unique column, The Fitness Master will appear each week in our sports sections. Readers will learn how to shape and reshape their bodies through diet and exercise. They will also learn how to get and maintain that competitive edge athletes need to excel.

“Every athlete is always looking for that edge. For me, that edge is knowing how to maintain high energy in competition,” said the teacher.

A former champion marathon runner, Kolodziejski ran competitively for six years before knee injuries forced him to find another outlet for his athletic bent.

Now, he is seriously involved in competitive bicycling. Although he entered that sport much later than most, he finished in the top ten percent of every race he entered and placed eighth at the 1988 Keystone Games in Criterium.

As a coach, Kevin’s record also is top notch.

The middle school teacher coached the Palmerton Boy’s Cross-Country team to a District 11 championship in 1987. They were league co-champions in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

Kevin also serves as a weight lifting coach for those interested in building stronger or leaner bodies.

“Lots of athletes come for advice as to how they can peak for their competitive events. But, there are a lot of people seeking the right weight lifting techniques because they want to reshape their bodies. You would be surprised at the number of girls and women who are interested in this,” he said.

Again, it was accidental that Kevin was led to teaching and writing about health and fitness through diet and exercise.

“The Intermediate Unit heard about what I was doing and asked me the teach a course to help teachers in those areas,” Kevin said.

That was in 1986. Since then, he has taught numerous courses on “Health and Fitness Through Diet and Exercise.”

His expertise in that direction also led to a writing career. Kevin’s articles have appeared in major national magazines, including Ironman Magazine.

Even though he is busy pursuing a doctorate at Lehigh University and even though he trains seven days a week, Kevin decided he could find time to help others by writing a weekly newspaper column.

“I get so many questions from people who ask about cross training, or how to beef up or slim down. I’m seriously involved in researching diet and exercise, so I decided to share some of what I’ve learned,” he said.

Kevin’s column will appear each Thursday in THE TIMES NEWS.

Advice for the armchair athlete, training secrets for serious athletes, tips on how to get started on a fitness program after age 35, and information on how to use weight lifting to change your body shape will be a few of the topics in future columns.

Readers with specific questions can write to Kevin in care of THE TIMES NEWS.

NOTE: The Fitness Master’s first column for the Times News ran on June 15, 1989. This was the story that introduced him and his weekly column. Kevin’s column has appeared every week, along with some bonus ones. This Saturday’s column will be the 1,613th to appear in the Times News.