by Jamie Watling and Jennifer Watt

Kelly Boone was someone that made me smile every time we would catch up either on a call or in person especially as our personalities meshed so well we could act like kids around each other. We had talked a lot and worked together a few times which I will go more into detail about shortly but when I think of Kelly, I just remember how smart, upbeat, happy and excited she would get about her goals with her fitness business and what she had hoped to accomplish in the competition scene before and after training herself from scratch to win her first WBFF Show, then her Pro Card, and of course my memories of her silliness. I fondly remember her face lighting up when I surprised her that Paul Dillett asked me who I thought would make a good cover model for Fit and Firm Magazine and after I said ” Kelly Boone “, he said ok, gave me some direction and assigned us the cover and she nearly cracked my rib when she bear hugged me when I told her, then the following month, her diving across the room and tackling me to the floor in excitement after surprising her with a Womens Health and Fitness Magazine feature that she also got to write after I asked her to try to write something for the workout we shot just incase I might be able to get her published as a writer as well. She was quick and caught me off guard and we sat on the floor laughing for a bit ( She smoked me lol ). The next time she came by after that, I jokingly put on football gear to greet her at the door.

Kelly Boone and I were friends for a few years before she got into fitness. Our silly personalities meshed and we kept in touch as often as we could which would include her swinging by the studio for lunch from time to time either to just pop in to chat about some things she was thinking about or to discuss her next shoot. Some of our check in calls resulted in us doing little voice impersonations back and forth in between topics, or Kelly commenting about something off topic out of nowhere and getting us laughing. Kelly had gotten heavily into working out and already having a great base, looked fantastic after putting on that extra muscle and curves. She had told me she wanted to get into fitness modelling and said she wanted to book a shoot in with me and also asked if it was cool to come to me for advice to which I said ” Of course you ding dong “. She would often tell me of opportunities she had coming up and sometimes asked my thoughts on the offers they were making as it can be hard to negotiate for yourself which is why most people just say yes to what is offered but do not know if it is fair for the work. I was always proud of her for landing the things she would tell me about. I have brought in a guest writer to tell you more about the wonderful Kelly Boone.

Throwback poster to Kelly Boone’s WBFF Fitness Competition

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There are some people in life who leave a lasting impact, shaping who we are and how we see the world. Kelly was one of those people for me. From the moment we met, she became more than just a friend—she became a confidant, a source of inspiration, and a reminder of what it means to live life fully. Our bond, formed in the hallways of high school, only grew stronger with time, and I’m forever grateful for the memories we shared and the lessons she taught me.

Kelly and I met back in high school, in grade 9. We instantly clicked and soon became your typical high school best friends – sharing laughs, sharing tears, sharing hugs, sharing clothes, sharing mischief, all to create shared memories that will last a lifetime. She came from an amazing loving family, the youngest of 3 daughters. She had the perfect mixture of character from both her older sisters, as well as her mom and dad. To this day, when I see them, simple gestures/mannerisms will instantly remind me of Kelly.

From the moment I met her, Kelly was always well-loved and respected by her peers. She was a great student who worked hard for her good grades. All her hard work led her to the University of Toronto, where she double-majored in psychology and business. Although our career paths led us to different schools, this didn’t stop us from maintaining our friendship outside of our studies. It was around this time that we both developed a love and interest in fitness.

From these accomplishments and the beginning of Instagram – yes, we are that old, she quickly began to receive recognition. Kelly got into promotional modeling where she was hired to work at events representing many large companies. While preparing for her first fitness competition and being in fantastic shape, she set up her first pro photoshoot ( and multiple shoots afterwards ) with the legendary, Jamie Watling, who she had been friends with for a few years prior to getting into fitness. After hearing Kelly rave about how much fun it was to work with Jamie, Kelly and I booked a group shoot with him which was a blast. Kelly had big goals and as Jamie likes to do, he went to bat with our photos landing us both features in Inside Fitness Magazine which was both our first ever publications. Kelly’s was the lead image for an article. Jamie also landed Kelly the cover of WBFF Fit and Firm Magazine and shortly after since, Jamie was a main Photographer for Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine, he was able to land Kelly her first ever training feature which she also got to write. Jamie loves to surprise his clients with the outcomes he lands them and he surprised a few times which meant a lot to her.

She received a sponsorship with Scitec supplements where she got to meet other incredible athletes and be the face at many conventions that took to her to all over the U.S and Germany and also at one point, graced another fitness cover.