This spring, we will be profiling all six rising seniors on the Eastern Kentucky University soccer team. Next up: Amani Thomas.

March 26 - Katie Bright (she has a twin sister who also plays Division-I soccer)
April 6 - Mikala Ferguson (she wants to work in an MLB front office someday)

RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior midfielder Amani Thomas appeared in all 19 games last fall, starting 12 of them. She notably scored the fastest goal in Eastern Kentucky soccer history, when she found the back of the net just 21 seconds into the Colonels' 7-0 win over Alabama A&M on August 29.
 
Amani, however, is about more than just scoring goals mere seconds into games. The Pickering, Ontario native has an innovative entrepreneurial dream she hopes to pursue after she graduates from Eastern.
 
Amani Thomas: My dream job would be to own a gym. Actually, it would be half gym, half restaurant/meal preparation place. A place where you could get your meals for the entire week.
 
EKU Sports: What led to this interest?
 
AT: Well, my major is fitness and wellness management, so I want to use that experience to help people.
 
ES: And you like food?
 
AT: Yeah.
 
ES: So would it be gross healthy food, or would it be…
 
AT: No! It would be good healthy food!
 
ES: Okay, good healthy food. Have you seen places like this, or is this an original idea?
 
AT: It's an original idea, I've never seen one before.
 
ES: Would you want to do this back home in Canada?
 
AT: It would be in Toronto.
 
ES: Give me an example of the type of food that would be served.
 
AT: Stuff with protein and veggies.
 
ES: But what kind of protein are we talking about? Are we talking about tofu or … ?
 
AT: It would be stuff people like to eat, like chicken breast, salmon, and well-seasoned veggies. The whole "fit lifestyle" is really popular now. People will make all of their meals for a week in a day so they can save cooking time and eat healthy.
 
ES: Alright, let's talk a bit about the gym part. Would it be a normal gym, or would there be some unique characteristic about it as well?
 
AT: No, just a normal gym with free weights and stuff.
 
ES: You might not know this, but how would you go about starting your own business?
 
AT: Well…
 
ES: Or have you not really gotten into the details yet?
 
AT: Right now it's just a dream! It's what I would want to do if I had the money and resources.
 
ES: Sounds awesome. Good luck to you!