| Name |
| Jen Thompson |
| Age |
| 47 |
| Weight Class |
| 63 kg |
| Where do you live? |
| Denver, NC |
| Squat PR: |
| 345 lb gym PR |
| Bench PR: |
| 330 lb gym PR |
| Deadlift PR: |
| 457 lb Meet PR |
| Clean & Jerk PR: |
| n/a |
| Snatch PR: |
| n/a |
| Years lifting? |
| 22 |
| How did you come to powerlifting or Olympic lifting? |
| I came into powerlifting accidentally. I had been working out with my roommates, we had free weights in our rental home. I liked the changes I started to see in my body and the strength I was going. I was starting to catch up to some of the males in our group. On my honeymoon, we walked into a bench press competition on Muscle Beach. Afterwards, I spoke with some of the participating athletes and decided this was something I could do. |
| Do you have any previous athletic or lifting experience? |
| I was a long distance runner and I competed on the Marine Fitness Team in high school. |
| Do you compete? Why or why not? If you compete, what do you like most about the competitions? |
| I have been competing for over 20 years. I love the camaraderie among the athletes, pushing myself to new heights and performing in front of a crowd. |
| Equipped or Raw? |
| Tested |
| Do you have a coach or trainer? In person or online? How did you find your trainer/program? Do you have any advice for women looking for a trainer? |
| My personal coach in my husband, Donovan. We have developed many programs throughout the years that have developed me into the lifter I am today. We just recently put all this experience and success into our app https://www.thompsonsgym. It has programs for anyone of all levels, plus it is tried and true! |
| Where do you train? Gym, garage? |
| We train in our home gym in the basement. |
| What is the hardest part about beginning lifting as an older woman? |
| I began in my late 20’s but have been able to carry on into my 40’s. There are not many females who have had such a long career. Many leave the sport after marriage or giving birth. I have made it such a part of my life that I have continued on. |
| How has lifting affected your health? |
| I believe for the most part it has made me extremely healthy. It has propelled me to eat right and strengthen my entire body. I have suffered a few injuries throughout my career, but nothing that I considered sport ending. |
| What would you tell women just beginning this journey? |
| It is an amazing community of people. We celebrate each other and our individual victories. We are always looking to expand our tribe, jump in! |
| Include your Instagram (optional) |
| jenthompson132 |
