Kayla Thorpe Nyla Cherry interview on Towson and Barbados

The Kayla Thorpe Nyla Cherry interview covers why Thorpe left Towson University for the University of Maryland, how she set a Barbados javelin record and won at Barbados Nationals, and why she took a clinical coordinator job after college athletics. Thorpe also discussed the Maryland teammates who helped her regain her enjoyment of throwing and the possibility of competing again.

Why did Kayla Thorpe transfer from Towson University to the University of Maryland?

Kayla Thorpe left Towson University after coaching changes and problems within the program affected her enjoyment of throwing. She wanted more control over her athletic future and a larger throws group. A family visit persuaded her that the University of Maryland was the right choice, although it had not been her first choice.

Leaving Towson University

Thorpe said she went through three throwing coaches in two years at Towson. During her sophomore season, she felt the team was struggling with internal issues and did not have what it needed. The disruption affected her mental health and her sense of progress. She still loved the school, her teammates and the coaches she knew there, which made leaving difficult.

Explaining the decision, Thorpe put her wish for control plainly:

I just wanted to be in charge of my future this time

She also wanted to practice alongside more throwers who shared her drive. Thorpe said that remaining in a situation where she was falling out of love with her events felt like a disservice to herself.

A late transfer and a family visit to Maryland

Thorpe entered the transfer process after finishing school rather than during the season. She said a conversation with her sister about her goals gave her the push to act. Because she started late, the process felt stressful, and she focused on coaches she already knew and trusted. Michigan State University and Maryland were among the options she discussed.

Maryland was not initially her preferred destination. After visiting with her family, however, Thorpe felt it was the right place. She described her time there during the 2023 and 2024 seasons as the best decision she could have made, citing the teammates, coaches and new places she encountered.

What did Kayla Thorpe say about the Maryland throws team and Jayla?

Kayla Thorpe said Maryland gave her the bigger, close-knit throws group she had sought when she transferred. Her bond with Jayla, her shot put practice partner, helped make training more motivating. Thorpe also credited teammates and coaches with encouraging her to grow into a leadership role she had not always seen in herself.

Practicing with Jayla

Shot put had once been Thorpe’s favorite event, but she said the difficulties at Towson had weakened her connection to it. At Maryland, practicing beside Jayla gave her someone to observe, learn from and push alongside. She valued having another thrower there on difficult days rather than having to generate all her motivation alone.

That support extended into the weight room and meets. Thorpe said the group’s encouragement could make it feel as though the whole team was present even when only a few throwers were competing. She described the bond with Jayla as one she expects to last.

Learning to lead at Maryland

Thorpe said she had always been sociable, but did not consider herself a natural leader. Maryland coaches spoke with her about qualities they saw in her and encouraged her to reflect on how she could support others. Those conversations helped her turn her energy toward being there for teammates, rather than assuming she was too young to lead.

What did Kayla Thorpe say about her family in Barbados?

Kayla Thorpe said her close family ties come partly from growing up with much of her extended family in Barbados while her immediate family lived in the United States. Her relatives supported her from both places. She singled out her nephews Ethan and Eli and her niece Nigel as important sources of encouragement.

Thorpe said her parents moved to the United States in 2001. Although she has some aunts and cousins nearby, much of her extended family remains in Barbados. That distance helped her appreciate the relatives she sees regularly and the support she receives from overseas.

Her nephew Ethan is especially eager to tell others about her, Thorpe said, sharing her achievements with teachers and strangers. She described support from her young relatives as a different kind of encouragement from what she gets from friends.

How did Kayla Thorpe set the Barbados javelin record and win at Barbados Nationals?

Kayla Thorpe said her personal-best javelin throw at Nationals in Oregon became a Barbados national record, something she had not realized would happen. She later won at her first Barbados Nationals. Competing on grass rather than a runway, she shortened her approach and threw in the high 49-meter range.

The record at Nationals in Oregon

Thorpe said she held Barbados citizenship when she threw her personal best in Oregon. She had focused on the competition, not the national record, and learned that the mark carried that significance afterward. When Cherry asked for the exact distance, Thorpe recalled only that it was 53-point-something meters; she did not give a precise figure.

The grass approach at Barbados Nationals

After Nationals, Thorpe traveled to Barbados for her first national championship there. Her family came to watch, wearing shirts bearing her name that a cousin had designed as a surprise. She also brought a coach who had worked with her at both Towson and Maryland on his first trip to Barbados.

Conditions changed her plan. Thorpe said the competition took place on grass because there was no dedicated runway, and she had not competed on grass since high school. She used a seven-step approach instead of her full approach, treating the adjustment as a chance to execute the shorter run well. Her throw was close to 50 meters, and she said she was proud that her family could see her compete and win there.

Thorpe had hoped to reach 55 meters before the end of her season. She said she was receiving physical therapy and might consider returning to competition at Barbados Nationals once she felt fully healthy; she did not commit to a return.

How did Kayla Thorpe move into a career after college athletics?

Kayla Thorpe became a clinical coordinator after her college athletics season ended, although she had applied for a different job. She said her Maryland and Big Ten Conference experience helped her connect with a program director who had also been a student-athlete. Thorpe took the role despite initial nerves and found she enjoyed its teamwork and changing demands.

Her extended season left little time to decide where to live and look for work, so Thorpe went home and applied for a position similar to one her sister held. The program director later called her, recognized her athletics background and noticed she had a bachelor’s degree. Their conversation led to an offer for a different position.

Thorpe asked her sister about the clinical coordinator job and learned that many problems would come to that role. She accepted anyway, drawing on the confidence she had built by transferring and taking on unfamiliar opportunities at Maryland. She said she loves her coworkers, clients and the fact that she continues to learn while working with a supportive team.

Who did Kayla Thorpe favor between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream?

Kayla Thorpe leaned toward the Golden State Valkyries when Cherry asked her to choose between them and the Atlanta Dream, but she thought Atlanta could win. She liked the prospect of an underdog story and said she would also welcome an Atlanta victory if it brought more attention to women’s basketball.

Thorpe said she was trying to watch more women’s basketball and had watched two recent games when she could. She did not give a firm prediction or describe a result.

Who is Kayla Thorpe?

Kayla Thorpe is a shot-putter and javelin thrower who competed in NCAA track and field for the University of Maryland. She was a Division I athlete and a Big Ten medalist. She also holds a Barbados national javelin record and won at Barbados Nationals.