Thirty years ago, Amy Boone Thompson, BS ’95, was a Division I student-athlete at George Mason University. Through her drive, grit, and passion for health and fitness – along with experience gained through her George Mason education – she has created a career that aligns with her ideals. This fall, as she dropped her daughter off to play volleyball as a George Mason student-athlete, Thompson is a leader within the fitness, health, and sports industry.
Growing up in Utah as one of ten siblings, Thompson learned at an early age what it meant to compete. “In my family, there are five boys and five girls, and we were all very athletic but literally everything was a competition,” she said. That competitive edge quickly translated to the basketball court and to academics.
Thompson began her higher education journey at a two-year institution, the College of Southern Idaho (CSI), where she competed in basketball, volleyball, and track and field. As she developed as an athlete, she found an opportunity to continue her collegiate athletics experience.
One summer, while visiting with her sister who was living in Fairfax, Thompson summoned up the courage to walk into the gym building on George Mason’s Fairfax Campus and approach then women’s basketball coach Jim Lewis. “Coach, come watch me play,” said Thompson. “I am at CSI and just want you to follow my season with the basketball team. We are pretty good.”
Lewis attended one of the games where Thompson’s team competed in the National Junior College tournament and offered her a scholarship to continue her athletic journey at George Mason. Thompson was a very early women’s transfer student to the program, possibly the first. While at George Mason, Thompson continued playing basketball (1992-94) and in her fifth year (1994-95), she played volleyball, where the team went on to compete in the NCAA tournament.
Thompson found that the move from Utah to Idaho to Fairfax was eased by her new teammates. “The basketball team certainly put their arms around me and helped me through the relocating and adjustment process,” she said. With the support of her teammates–and her sister in Fairfax –Thompson soon got into the swing of life on campus.
With a degree in physical education and a minor in athletic training, Thompson took on jobs as a personal trainer, coaching positions, and at one point was the assistant strength and conditioning coach at George Mason. “Throughout my jobs and roles, I realized that I wanted to work with people who decided to show up every day to better their health,” she said. “I get to join someone’s journey in their own health-care continuum. It is a rewarding job to be on this side of preventative health and to see the ripple effect of impact and outreach through organizations and franchises.”
Thompson is now the owner and CEO of three companies, IDEA® Health and Fitness Association, In-Out Fitness Solutions, and IDEAfit Insurance Services, where she focuses on bringing fitness, wellness, and sports professionals into a space where they can grow and develop. She is the current chair for World Active, a global association, and a best-selling co-author of Lead Like a Woman – Grateful.
“George Mason had truly prepared me for the workforce,” said Thompson. “The relationships and the connections that I made during my time there was such a great experience. I now try and open doors for graduates of George Mason, just as doors were opened for me during my years there.”
Thompson now lives with her family in California, and this fall returned to the Fairfax Campus as a parent of a freshman student-athlete. Asked about advice she would offer today’s students, she encouraged taking a business class, regardless of their major. “You never know,” she said, “you can become an entrepreneur in whatever field you decide to study.”
Thompson added, “Your experience is what you make of it. Your college life can be anything you want it to be. You can find it as fulfilling as you want, but you have to show up every day to create relationships and to be present, creating a spark everywhere you go.”
And lastly, reflecting her life’s work, “Your health is your true wealth in this life. Invest in yourself with a daily health and fitness regime. Consistency is key.”
Written by: Kendra Anderson