Amy Bantham began her career in the late nineties as a group exercise instructor, a role she quickly fell in love with. While working in management consulting, she realized that it was teaching group exercise during her lunch hour that truly brought her joy and drive. This eventually led her to begin working with the main industry trade group, IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sports Association) for over a decade where she focused on advocacy, health promotion, and health policy. 

During her tenure, she played a crucial role in establishing the IHRSA Foundation, which allowed her to further her passion for expanding access to physical activity opportunities. This sparked her desire to pursue a Doctor of Public Health degree, a journey that took three years. Through her impressive career and educational background, Amy has become a dedicated advocate for promoting physical activity and improving public health.

About the Daily Mile initiative, she states, "This was an elementary school, in-school physical activity intervention. I did focus groups for them where I talked with 50 administrators, teachers, parents, and community advocates and really tried to understand what were their pain points . . .what did the kids need? What did the teachers need? And how the Daily Mile as a program might be able to help teachers teach and kids learn more about the role that physical activity played there."

Some key moments: 

• Passion for fitness leads to advocacy work.
• Consider community impact. 
• Evaluate program, understand barriers, improve health outcomes.
• Field trips to local health clubs for kids?
• Specialists can register with schools for training.

A few key takeaways:

1. Amy's focus is on expanding access to physical activity opportunities and creating a "movement of movement."
2. She believes in partnering with organizations and individuals who align with her mission of helping people live healthier and more active lives.
3. Works with organizations that focus on various age groups, from elementary schools to older adults, and values innovation in the field.
4. Assistance in reframing programming: Amy and her team provide support and resources for individuals who want to reframe their programming and schedules. They help with outdoor workouts in parks and provide guidance, conviction, and resources for those who want to make positive changes in their communities.

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Resources:

Amy Bantham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybantham/  Move to Live More: https://www.movetolivemore.com/  IHRSA: https://www.ihrsa.org  The Daily Mile: https://www.thedailymile.us/  Prospect Wizard: http://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: http://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: http://www.higherdose.com

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