"I’ve found that a person does not need protein from meat to be a successful athlete. In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet."
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Is it possible to be vegan and an athlete? YES! From distance running to bodybuilding, athletes can fuel their athletic success on a wholly plant-based diet. Moreover, many top athletes claim a vegan diet is the optimal diet for performance.
Since 2003, OrganicAthlete has been educating athletes about the benefits of an organic, plant-based diet. We will teach you the nutritional facts and dispel the common myths about vegan diets. We will show how to take simple steps to incorporating healthy into your lifestyle. We will inspire you with examples of athletes of ages, abilities, and sports who thrive with their compassionate, healthy lifestyle.
Members of OrganicAthlete's Pro-Activist Team are elite and professional athletes from many different sports who live and support a vegan diet and lifestyle. They're using their collective voice to champion the benefits of a healthy plant-based diet for athletes of all ages and abilities.
Are you a Pro-Activist? Contact us at info@organicathlete.org to learn more about being on the team.
Hometown: Orillia, Ontario Canada
Current Residence: Fort Worth, TX
Sport(s): Triathlon
Pro/Elite since: 2003
Date of Birth: November 28th 1982
Favorite fruit: Cantaloupe
Favorite veggie: mushroom, baby carrots
Hobbies/Other sports: watching movies, reading magazines, wakeboardng, frisbee golf, secretly training to be UFC Champ
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
Over time I elminated a lot of diary and meat out of my diet trying to stop problems with digestion and running. I didn't strictly decide to eat a vegan diet I just found I had more energy and recovered faster when I followed a plant based diet.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
Yes I recover a lot faster and have more energy. For me it was trying to cut down on stomach problems when doing hard run workouts. I found with eating a plant based diet that became faster and leaner.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
I don't really get any criticism about diet from other athletes. I find most athletes are fairly unique about the type of food and timing of food. Each athlete is a little bit different. I do here a few comments about being lean every now and again!
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I started off taking triathlon as a class in elementary school. I played a lot of sports hockey and lacrosse. I experimented with running and swimming in university and swam varsity in College. Then I started to train and race at a competitive level. I spent some time at the national training center in Victoria, B.C and learned alot from the best coachs and athletes in the country. I hope to be taking part in this great sport well into my age group years after I am done racing at the elite level.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I believe the team has a great purpose and with the struggling problems with obesity I think plant based diets are fairly important. I would like to educate people on the importance of plants and vegetables and also help get people started in the great sport of triathlon. I also believe that I can represent the team at the national and international level.
Hometown: Washington, DC
Current Residence: Boulder, CO
Sport(s): Cyclocross
Pro/Elite since: Elite Cross racer since 2004
Date of Birth: 2/20/1977
Website: cat-johnson.blogspot.com
Favorite fruit: Mango
Favorite veggie: Green Beans
Hobbies/Other sports: Digital Photographic Art, Mtn Biking, Road Racing
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
After experimenting with being a Vegan off and on for a while, I finally cut dairy out of my diet for good in January of 1998, when I moved to Boulder to go to school at CU in Environmental Studies. I had been a vegetarian for a couple of years. I became a vegan for a number of reasons. I did not want to cause suffering to animals. I knew that animals often lived under horrible conditions on factory farms, and that they do not have voices to scream and yell to their abusers, leaving them totally without the power to save themselves. I understood that by merely making the choice to not eat meat and dairy, I could contribute to helping animals suffer less. I knew that rainforest land was used by large corporations for animals to graze, and did not want to contribute to environmental degradation. I also found I felt healthier, more energetic, and alive when I didn’t eat meat or dairy products.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
The first problem I faced when I became a Vegan, was that I quickly lost a lot of weight. I wasn't getting enough protein, fat, or B12 in my diet. Once I solved that problem, I found myself more energetic than ever. I really started pumping tons of extra protein and fat into my diet in January of 2006, when I picked up my racing and training to include more USGP cross races. I wanted to take my biking to a higher level. Now, I get 1g of protein per lb of body weight per day. I get this from rice protein, which I add to my smoothie every day. I eat an avocado almost every day, as well. I feel really strong, energetic, alive and motivated. I know that having a lot of protein in my diet is extremely important for muscle building, maintaining, and recovery. I get plenty of fat in my diet by eating avocados, so that I have something to burn off. I really put in hard workouts on my bikes and on the trails, so I am really nutrient conscious. I take a B complex vitamin, and a Vegan multi vitamin every day.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
My teammates have been really positive. I think they figure it is not for them, but since it works for me, it's great! Once I had a teammate that suggested I add soy ice cream to my smoothies to drown out the taste of protein powder. This was excellent advice, as rice protein powder has a revolting aftertaste. A few people have pressed me to change my diet, sighting that this person or that person started eating meat and improved there racing performance, drastically. I haven't listened. I think that people who say such things are just insecure and uninformed. Really, I think, it is the combination of a healthy lifestyle, training, and racing that will improve a person's performance above all. Being aware of the suffering of factory farm animals, environmental issues, and ones health is a smart way to live. I think this consciousness is important in racing. Having a clear conscious, and a positive mindset, helps you find power, strength. and peace within yourself.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I think that being a bike-racing vegan allows you to be healthy, compassionate to animals and the environment, while being tough, aggressive, and competitive on your bike. I think it is important to make a positive difference, fight for social justice, and choose to let your choices speak for not only yourself, but for those whose voices we can not hear. Staying true to my beliefs, and myself by racing and being a vegan, I have improved immensely as a cyclist. I hope that others will find the courage, willpower and determination to make a conscious decision for themselves and the world around them by choosing to be vegan as well.
Hometown: Chelsea, Quebec
Current Residence: Chelsea, Quebec
Sport(s): Road cycling, middle distance track & field, long distance running, and martial arts.
Pro/Elite since: 1996
Date of Birth: November 22nd 1975
Website: workin on it
Favorite fruit: Pineapple
Favorite veggie: Greens
Hobbies/Other sports: Fine artist, painter and sketch artist, graphic
designer/illustrator, soccer, speed skating, cooking, reading, and writing
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I think I was born to be a vegan, because from my early childhood I never had passion and taste for eating animals products.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I'm content with all the health benefits and always expecting many more throughout my life.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Some have been supportive, understanding and even needing to know more of the be advantages of being a vegan and how it helps my performance, while others have not and are very critical.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I very much grew up within sports and exercise pretty much all my life, >From the age of 9 to 12 years I was playing boxing and from 12 years on wards I switched from boxing to martial arts Tae kwon do and Karate, played bad Minton, lawn tennis, running, basketball, rugby and soccer till the age of 19 when I switched full time Elite mountain biking for the national team then to road racing Elite Professional in Europe with a minimal participation in martial arts, running and soccer up to this date.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
Tour of the lakes Cycling Stage race 3rd over all placing as well as general team placing in the team sports I featured in. My own efforts in martial arts tournaments as a black belt competitor.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
Because it champions, promotes and stands up for the wellness and healthy standards and educational values that that I believe in and as well try to educate and share with those need to know more about vegetarian and vegan way of life.
Hometown: Moorestown, NJ
Current Residence: Ann Arbor, MI
Sport: Inline Roadskating
Pro/Elite since: October 2006
Date of Birth: 3/30/1982
Website: herbivoremagazine.com
Favorite fruit: champagne mangoes because each one tastes unique
Favorite veggie: broccoli and spinach
Hobbies/Other sports: running, figure drawing, listening to NPR, squash, tennis, reading, rock climbing, and film
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
About five years ago I adopted a semi-vegan diet as a protest against the environmentally destructive and inhumane practices of factory farming. As I educated myself more about food politics, animal welfare, and the health benefits of a plant-based diet I decided to become a true vegan.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
My switch to a pure vegan diet and my skating success definitely coincided. My endurance feels limitless so long as the supply of bananas is as well.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Most other athletes are first surprised and then cautiously curious about my diet. Commonly they assume I must expend extra energy to ensure I get enough protein or other nutrients to train hard. In actuality, I find it much easier to eat well under a vegan diet. Many also assume veganism takes a great amount of willpower to sustain—when in fact, for me, it requires none at all. I enjoy and appreciate good food now more than ever.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I swam competitively for several years as a kid and this helped me build a good endurance base. I began skating recreationally with my father when I was about 9 years old. I desperately wanted to be a long-distance runner but was somewhat limited by an injury in high school and a lack of talent. I started entering inline skating marathon races in 2004, but didn’t start seriously training until 2006 at which point I began competing at an elite level. I was recently picked up by Pyroapparel owned by Alan Marcosson, and he has been very generous and supportive. In the winter I cross train on stairs (which is agony) and have recently picked up cycling.
5. Most memorable results or achievements (top 5)
6. Why did you join OA’s PRO-Activist team?
I am delighted for this chance to help promote a vegan diet. I believe that I succeed in my athletic endeavors not simply in spite of my diet, but because of it as well. I’d love to break the Athens to Atlanta record under the OrganicAthlete banner.
Hometown: London
Current Residence: London
Sport(s): Savate – French Kickboxing
Pro/Elite since: August 2003
Date of Birth: 22 Sep 1979
Website: www.londonsavate.co.uk, www.jamessouthwood.com
Favorite fruit: orange
Favorite veggie: kale
Hobbies/Other sports: boating, boxing, philosophy
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I have been vegetarian all my life, steadily becoming stricter and declaring myself fully vegan at age 16. Removing the consequence of animal suffering from my food choices was the initial motivation, although, in time, the choice made sense for a host of other reasons. By 2003, seeking to purify my diet to match my strict exercise regime, I started taking only raw foods. I have been 100% raw since July 2004, with every bite since then being of fresh, raw vegetable matter.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
Being raw lends a positive psychological edge to my training. Knowing that I carry the will to make only the best choices for my body is a great way to derive the confidence to be capable of anything else I wish to undertake.
Being raw is a light, clean and pure way to live. Exercising and competing in this physical state is the only way I would choose to do it.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
I have a close-knit group of fighters and teammates with whom I train and compete and they are supportive of me whatever the circumstance. Although it is always a jocular distraction to mock the eating habits of the minority, those who have fought with me know enough about my endurance and strength to make no serious point on the matter. Standing 6’1”, looking fit and confident, I get very few negative comments about the effect of my diet on my health.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
At age 19 I was tall, young and lacking a sport.
On a whim, I went along to a kickboxing club. It transpired that the people there practiced a French style of kickboxing, using their shoes and moving with a grace and style I badly wanted to copy. I stayed, and in the months that followed I set about becoming good at it, training alone and testing my skills out in the sparring classes.
By the time four years had gone by, I had shown enough aptitude and desire to apply for my first teaching certificate. Wasting no time, I started instructing my own group. The club I founded in London is now one of the largest and most successful British clubs, and the only French kickboxing establishment in the capital.
I enjoy teaching: it inspires me and keeps my training fresh. I also like to compete. Since 2005, I have been part of the squad of British fighters who represent the country in international competitions. That year, I won the play-offs to gain a place in the European Championships. This provoked changes in my training. Now I was competing with the best and I used the preparation, and the two losses I incurred at the event, to take my confidence, my training methods and my fitness to the top level.
One year later, I was fighting in the World Championships. This time I lost only to the eventual Champion, and won the other bout in my group. In the same year, which I spent away from work in order to train and teach, my new and greatly improved regime won me a major triumph at the British Championships. There was only one fighter who fought through all four League tournaments without dropping a point, and that person was me. I was British Champion, a title I will defend in 2007.
I currently fight, I teach at my club and train other competitors, and love every minute of it.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
It is all very well to theorise about diet and fitness, but the only proof that the public should listen to comes from the athletes and professionals who achieve something with their methods. The Pro-Activists are a living, breathing education for the world on the merits, and practicality, of a healthy vegan diet.
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current Residence: Santa Monica, CA
Sport(s): Surfing
Pro/Elite since: 2007
Date of Birth: May 28, 1967
Website: www.argentiviolin.com
Favorite fruit: Fresh Coconut, Banana, Strawberries
Favorite veggie: Red Chard, Spinach, Avocado
Hobbies/Other sports: Professional Violinist, Playing Piano, Snowboarding, and Traveling
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
May 1995
I first eliminated dairy products from my diet because I had bad sinus allergies and avoiding dairy greatly improved my breathing. I was also always sensitive to animal welfare issues. Even at an early age I remember reading about animal experimentation/vivisection and was greatly opposed. In 1994 I began doing fur protests, and one day after a protest some people were going to lunch, and asked where I was going, I was planning on heading to McDonalds when someone carefully pointed out the hypocrisy in doing that. It was quite an awakening. Within 6 months I was completely vegan and I am forever grateful to that person who spoke with me politely rather than making me feel inept for my lack of insight at the time.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I feel absolutely amazing. I can never imagine ever going back to a diet with animal products. My health is incredible, I just turned 40 and feel the strongest and healthiest I’ve ever felt. My endurance is great, surfing 2 to 2.5 hour sessions 5-7 days a week all year long, sometimes twice a day in the summer and fall months.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Ha, well, they give me a hard time sometimes when I say I’m going to my favorite vegan restaurant which they’ve renamed “Sticks and Twigs”. Pretty funny. But overall, no one bothers me about it. They know it’s a healthy choice, and it’s my lifestyle, so they really can’t say much about it, besides, how can they argue with the results?!
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I started surfing 10 yrs ago at 30 yrs old. Sort of got a late start! But I would run on the beach and see the surfers in the water and think “I can do that”. It wasn’t until last year though that I decided to challenge myself for my 40th birthday and started competing on the WSA (Western Surfing Association) Championship Tour. It was a combination of my determination, the support and encouragement of my family, friends, local surf shop Horizons West and mentor Randy Wright, and my endurance of daily intense training in all kinds of conditions and surf that enabled me to win the West Coast Championship.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
Winning the women’s 30+ shortboard division WSA 2006-2007 West Coast Championship at age 40, my first year on the tour!
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
Because I feel OrganicAthlete represents everything that I am about: a healthy, compassionate, environmentally friendly, cruelty-free diet and lifestyle!
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Current Residence: Nags Head, North Carolina
Sport: Surfing
Pro/Elite since: 2004
Date of Birth: June 22, 1976
Favorite fruit: WATERMELON, Avocados
Favorite veggie: peppers, spinach
Hobbies/Other sports: running, yoga, swimming, cooking (vegan of course!!), travel, reading, spending time with my dogs!!
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
Unlike most people I know I did not grow up drinking milk or consuming other dairy products (including eggs) because my older brother had severe food allergies. He eventually grew out of his restricted diet, and I became a cheese and ice cream junky!!! I began eliminating animal products from my diet in 1990, the year I was required to read Upton Sinclaire's The Jungle for my freshman history class. At first I cut out red meat and poultry but continued to eat seafood until I started college. As a biology major I was very interested in the environment and gradually learned how a plant based diet is more sustainable for the planet. Cheese and ice cream were the last animal products to be cut from my diet in 2001. Over the years I have been adapting my diet I have been accumulating more and more reasons why I choose to be Vegan. I do not believe that eating dead things or milk products is a positive source of energy or a good way to fuel your body for optimum performance. I am happier knowing that I am not contributing to the painful and disgusting industry that exploits animals as a food source. By eating lower on the food chain I am helping contribute to environmental sustainability while eliminating many harmful chemicals from my diet.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
Since adapting a vegan diet I have noticed several positive changes in my surfing. I am leaner than I was before and being lighter without sacrificing strength or muscle mass allows me to surf faster. Speed is what allows you to make solid maneuvers at critical parts of the wave, and I feel that my overall performance has dramatically improved since adopting a vegan diet. I have experienced a few injuries (a torn MCL in 2003 and a stress fracture about a month ago) and have to say that my recovery time was dramatically shorter than it was for injuries before I became vegan. Last but not least, the mental discipline it takes to follow a vegan diet has taught me to be more focused, especially in competition.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
There are actually many surfers I know who are vegetarians of some variety or another but there are very few vegans. No one has ever really given me a hard time about my dietary choices, most often they are curious and ask questions. Friends I travel with take the time to look at menus to see if there are options for me which I think is pretty cool. It is not always easy to travel and follow a vegan diet, so I think more than anything they admire my restraint when we go places with little or no animal free food choices.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I have been a competitive athlete most of my life but did not begin surfing until 1996 when I transferred to the College if Charleston in South Carolina. I was fortunate to make friends with a local woman who had been surfing for over 20 years. She encouraged me to enter a local amateur contest shortly after I learned to surf, and I won!!! From that point on I was very involved in the local surf community, competed in the local district of the Eastern Surfing Association, and began to travel for competitions when I qualified for regional and national amateur competitions. After graduating college in 2001, I tried out for the US Surf Team and earned one of the 4 slots available for women on the team. In 2002 I relocated to California in hopes of competing in some professional events but realized after about 7 months that it would be easier (financially) for me to travel for contests if I based myself back on the east coast. I finally began competing in pro events this past April and am happy working the summer months at my surf school, Carolina Surf Adventures, and using the winter months for training and travel. In 2004 I competed in only the events held by the Association of Surfing Professionals in North America and am looking forward to surfing in international events for the 2005 season.
5. Most memorable results or achievements (top 5).
1. 3rd place in shortboard at the 2001 USSF National Amateur Championships
2. 4th place in Longboard at the 2001 USSF National Amateur Championships
3. 11th place at the 2002 Pan American Surfing Championships in Venezuela
4. 1st place O'Neill Braggers Cup May 2004 (first money prize earned)
5. Equal 7th place at the 2004 Outer Banks Pro (first ASP prize money, best result from 2004 tour)
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I think it is very important to make people aware that you can be active, healthy, and fit without animal products in your diet. I think most people are too detached from their food sources, meaning that they settle for convenience and never bother to concern themselves with where their food is coming from or what they are really eating. By joining OA's Pro-Activist team I hope to increase awareness, inspire others, and dispel many of the myths surrounding the average American diet.
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Current Residence: Tampa, FL
Sport(s): Fitness Competitions, Obstacle Course, Natural bodybuilding and Physique modeling
Pro/Elite since: 2005
Date of Birth: August 20, 1980
Website: www.kellylynnfit.com
Favorite fruit: Grapes
Favorite veggie: Broccoli and Cauliflower
Hobbies/Other sports: Volleyball
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I became vegetarian in 2001 while I was in the US Marines. I was only consuming protein powder made of whey at the time. After cheating a few times and eating meat, I noticed that I felt horrible after eating them. I completely stopped eating animal products in 2005 when I had experienced chemical sensitivities to artificial sweetners and ingredients. I feel amazing now!
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I notice that my body feels cleaner than ever. I also noticed that I have a lot more energy and feel lighter because I don’t have to digest all of that animal meat.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Supportive, because I am a sports nutrition specialist and I explain the concepts very thoroughly, so most people trust me. Those who are critical just don’t want to give up their unhealthy lifestyle.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I started dance when I was a young girl. At age seven I won a scholarship to Broadway School of Dance, but I never took it. Over the course of my high school years, I still remained in dance as a hobby. I totally switched gears when in 1999, I joined the US Marines. While serving I began working out with power-lifters and built a great base for bodybuilding. I then started competing in that and slowly changed to the fitness industry, where I could incorporate my dance background. I have been competing ever since…eating veges like crazy!
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
Because I want to encourage people to live their healthiest life possible and that the body needs a vegan lifestyle to be full of vitality. Eating living foods that come from the earth is the best thing anyone can do for their body!
Current Residence: Marin County in Marin City/Sausalito
Sport: Natural Body Building
Pro/Elite since: My first competition was in September 2003 at the World Natural Bodybuilding Championships in Sacramento. I finished first in my division.
Date of Birth: September 6, 1967
Website: www.veganmusclepower.com
Favorite fruit: Cold green apples eaten three times a day keeps all types of doctors away.
Favorite veggie: Kale and Broccoli are my favorites. I use them in making sautees and cooked dishes for both flavor and to provide extra energy and vitamins in my meals.
Hobbies/Other sports: Football is my all-time favorite sport. I played defensive back in Junior College at College of Marin, and then at California State University at Fullerton. I became a professional arena league football player suiting up for the Anaheim Piranhas for one season. I was set to join the XFL and play for the San Francisco Demons, unfortunately the league folded after one season.
Outside of bodybuilding my favorite activity is the work I do as the television host for "Under Cover TV." "Under Cover TV" is a creation by In Defense of Animals to educate the American Public about the inhumane treatment of animals. It is currently being shown on public access television in several major US markets. I enjoy the work and the message - defending animals and giving them a voice.
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I stopped eating Animal Products in 2000. It started as a spiritual decision. I realized that I needed a change. I had control over my self and my decisions and therefore decided to immediately stop eating animal products.
The secondary benefit was Health. I learned more and more about the benefits of certain grains and vegetables in conjunction with the dangers of the standard American diet that consists of saturated fats, red meat, pork, and other unhealthy products.
The third and most obvious benefit was the protection of animals. Those who don't have a voice are often the ones that need to be listened to.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
The experience has been nothing but positive. From winning my first championship competition to making team USA and competing in the Natural Olympia, being a vegan athlete has changed my life. This lifestyle opens new opportunities every day. I feel great. I am able to help others by sharing my experiences, and others have helped me as well, specifically In Defense of Animals and Healthforce Nutritionals. Together we are strong and can help America and the World regain its health and fight the struggle that is Animal Rights. Being Vegan is not just a diet, it is a noble cause.
My health improved as I started the Vegan lifestyle. I have more energy and my recovery time from workouts is much faster. My muscle growth is solid and stable. I feel more energized and can endure more throughout the day. I have no problems whatsoever.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Some are "jokingly" critical. They mean no harm but I still feel their slight skepticism. I find that the majority of my fellow athletes think what I am doing is great, and they wish me luck.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
Throughout my youth I played football, playing at both the college and professional level. My football regimen introduced me to weight training in high school and I have not stopped since. I became very serious about weight-lifting in 2001.
5. Most memorable results or achievements (top 5)
1) I am able to squat 425 lbs.
2) I can bench 315lbs on the bench press.
3) I placed first in my first competition.
4) Making "Team USA" as America's First Vegan Bodybuilder was a great accomplishment. I represented the USA bodybuilding team with pride and honor.
5) Being the first vegan athlete to get an endorsement deal for the simple fact of being a vegan. I signed an agreement in January 2005 with Healthforce
Nutrionals to promote their earth-friendly and Vegan workout supplements that will be available in stores this summer.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
OA's Pro-Activist team has my similar goals and visions. Protecting the Earth, being healthy and competing as a topnotch athlete is what I am all about.
Hometown: Montvale, NJ
Current Residence: Stamford, CT
Sport: Duathlon/Cycling
Pro/Elite since: 1996
Date of Birth: 1/14/66
Favorite fruit: mango!
Favorite veggie: sweet potato/spinach
Hobbies/Other sports: reading, kayaking, hiking
1.When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I became a vegan in 1994 when I changed jobs. I had been looking for a healthier way to eat (commuting into the city and eating pizza every day for lunch wasn't working for me). My new boss was vegetarian and she was a great resource for questions/recipes, etc. I felt better almost immediately. Cutting out dairy products was what really made the difference for me, though. I used to think I had recurrent sinus infections; now I know I just can't process dairy!
2.What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
The only problem I've ever had with a vegan diet is getting good food (especially protein) when I travel to races. I remember eating white asparagus and canned beans for almost a week in northern Spain, and a loaf of flax seed bread for breakfast and lunch every day in Ireland. Long car trips to and from races can be challenging when all your other teammates want to stop at McDonald's. You just have to be prepared. It's much easier, now, though, than it was 10 years ago: healthy choices are becoming more and more available every day. I swear, those bags of baby carrots have saved my life many times.
3.Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Being a vegan has been pretty easy for me. I had a lot of support from friends and family when I began to eliminate animal products from my diet, so I never felt like a freak. And the athletes I raced against couldn't give me a hard time because they could never beat me. Sometimes my teammates get annoyed because they want to relax after a race with some wine or beer, and I don't drink alcohol, either. They think I'm kind of square. But that's another story.
4.A brief history of your athletic career.
My friend John asked me to train for the New York Marathon with him in 1995. I stupidly agreed having previously maxed out at 3 miles. But I had a great time putting in the miles and learning about the sport. Toward the end of our training, John (a former collegiate cyclist) suggested that we add some cross-training on our bikes, which would've been a great idea, if I'd actually owned a bike. But he persisted, and I finally bought myself a bike for my birthday; and immediately fell in love. I'm a moderately good runner (and I have to really fight for that), but riding has always felt very natural to me. Somehow my body understands it. So, after the marathon I turned to duathlon, which combines both sports, and within a year I was on the national team. Recently, I've added bike races, adventure races, long-distance running relays, and cross-country ski races to my schedule. I'm not nearly as successful in any of my new pursuits, but I'm having a lot more fun!
5.Most memorable results or achievements (top 5).
* 3-time Team USA member; twice ranked #2 in the country in duathlon (cycling and running)
* Bronze medalist at the International Triathlon Union's World Championship Duathlon in Ferrara, Italy
* Sub-3:30 New York Marathon
* 1st place, Tour de Greenwich (which is a meaningless little bike race here in town, but for local bragging rights, it can't be beat!)
* 1st place, Winding Trails Cross-Country Ski Race (another meaningless local race, but it was my first ski race, and I was really psyched to win!)
6.Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I saw a bunch of guys riding in the Go Vegan! shorts and I had to have a pair! So, I checked out the OA web site and when I saw there was an online community of vegan athletes, I wanted to be a part of it. Most of my elite athletic career is behind me now, but I coach a lot of new riders and runners, and I try to encourage them to eat responsibly. OA is a great resource that makes us all feel like we're not fighting the good fight alone.
Hometown: Wichita Falls, Texas
Current Residence: Portland, Oregon
Sport: Cyclocross! (track, road and mountain too!)
Pro/Elite since: 2004
Date of Birth: 08/28/1976
Website: www.mollycameron.com
Favorite fruit: Banana
Favorite veggie: Asparagus
Hobbies/Other sports: I'm pretty much a full time mechanic/full time bike racer. Well, watching bad movies, Thai food and chocolate chip cookies, I should consider those sports too.
1.When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
When I turned 15 or 16 I realized that I did not have to eat meat, so I stopped. I went Vegan the same year I got in to bike racing: 1999. I was living in San Francisco and started racing on the track and lived with a bunch of vegans. To be honest, I never really liked eating animal products. It was just always in stuff I would eat. Y'know: burritos have cheese, pizza has cheese. But once I was surrounded by people who showed me that there were options, I stopped eating animal products right away. I was really motivated to start taking responsibility for what I put in my body.
2.What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
Certainly no problems. If anything, eating organic and whole food keeps my energy level and mental focus consistent. It is the logical step when living a super active and conscious lifestyle. Sometimes you have a hard time finding truly healthy vegan food on the road but, you can always hit a grocery store and whip something up.
3.Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
My teammates are totally supportive, friends and people that race for my shop will show up at races with vegan cookies and will always bring a vegan dish to Veloshop potlucks. My peers, other pro racers and coaches have been critical. 'What do you eat?' 'Where do you get your protein?' I get that stuff a lot.
4.Most memorable results or achievements (top 5)
I've been an Oregon state champ a couple times, I won a couple of cyclocross races last fall (2005) and a XC mountain bike race too! I placed 3rd at the Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge points race. That was pretty cool, I was totally the underdog in the race and I hung in to get on the podium. I had a great season last year and now that I am focusing exclusively on Cyclocross I am looking forward to an exciting fall.
5.Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
What better way to represent for the vegans out there? It is pretty exciting that OA exists. There was nothing like this when I began exploring veganism. Plus, I get to look tough in my Organic Athlete t-shirt.
Hometown: Beltsville, MD
Current Residence: Alexandria, VA
Sport: Sprint Canoe (Olympic Style/High Kneel)
Pro/Elite since: 2002
Date of Birth: May 20, 1968
Website: www.justcanoeit.com
Favorite fruit: champagne mangos, bananas, oranges
Favorite veggie: greens, celery
Hobbies/Other sports: outrigger, running
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
The transition from “vegetarian” to “vegan” began about 2 years ago (after the transition from the “SAD” to vegetarian 4 years prior to that). It honestly has been a quiet, slow and private evolution, starting first as compassion for my health - my body - of which I had struggled with for many years. Then I started to read more about the disgusting ways in which animal foods go from farm to plate - which still made it more about my health than animal welfare, but it was the first step in looking outside myself to the animals themselves. Then, for some reason, more information (and people helping explain this information) about animal welfare seemed to come my way, and it was hitting closer to home. I actually started to feel emotional pain reading stories and seeing horrific video of animal treatment, slaughterhouses, how they are transported, the drugs, living conditions, etc. And now even more recent, it has evolved finally to compassion for the environment - learning more about the impact of the animal/food industry and its profoundly detrimental impact on the environment. My choices have just been an evolution of sorts - but taking it slowly and methodically has really helped me fully ingrain and bring full circle what I've been experiencing internally with what I have been learning about my external environment.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I just feel better overall. It has been nothing but a positive, and transformative, change. Even more so now, my body would not be able to handle meat or other animal products. My digestive tract just wouldn't handle it and frankly, my taste buds would reject it. Performance wise - for training and racing - I feel like I have a deeper reserve - physically, mentally and emotionally. I had a very strong year and a half of training and racing from the winter of 2006 to May 2007 - doing both sprint (high kneel) canoe and twice competing in long distance outrigger races. Relying on fruits as my fuel, I honestly felt I could dig deeper and stay there longer, than ever before. As if there was a new reservoir of energy I could tap in to.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Feeling like a bit of an outcast in a heavy meat and dairy sport is an understatement, and have been called a fanatic. For the most part, it is not an issue or at least I do not make it an issue. I support others in their choices and allow them to support me in mine. I try to steer conversation away from food and toward friendship or other things we have more in common. If they really want to talk and have questions, then I just speak from my own personal experience and what eating this way has done for me. Then they see what I do and can do, and that becomes my strongest (non-verbal) message. My performances and work ethic have spoken for themselves; and as an older athlete in the sprint discipline, it is even more intriguing to others. Some of the private comments or jokes insinuate “She must be taking something” or “What's in that shake?” I just smile - outside and inside - because it just confirms I am on the right path for myself.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
* Basketball - elementary school - college
* Cross-country and track - high school and college.
* Collegiate Hall of Fame - basketball and cross-country
* 1989 National Champion NCAA DIII women’s basketball
* Competed internationally on the US National Dragon Boat team from 1992-1995 and again in 2000 and 2001 (when I raced with the mixed crew to win the World Swan Boat Championship in Thailand, and with the Men’s team finishing 2nd.). Competed in sprint kayak 1996-1999, then sprint canoe and occasionally outrigger (singles and six-person crews) from 2000 to the present. Coached Girls/Women's basketball from 1991-1998.
5. Most memorable results or achievements (top 5)
a. 2000 US National Sprint Canoe/Kayak Championships - first woman to race in sprint canoe at the Nationals. This was the first year in the 90 year history of the sport in the US that USA Canoe/Kayak (USACK - national sport governing body) opened up the Men's canoe events to women – (Intermediate category only). Finished 3rd in the singles (C1)1000 and 500 meter events, and teamed with a Canadian woman to win Gold in the Men's 500m Doubles Canoe (C2) event. Racing against the men in 2000 and 2001 was the final prompting to cause USA Canoe/Kayak to change its by-laws to add women-only events at the National Championships. I remain unbeaten in the US.
b. 2002 US National Marathon Team Trials – Men’s Canoe (non-Olympic event). First woman in the US and the world to do a marathon canoe event high kneel - racing against men (no women’s events). Race was 30 kilometers and I finished 2nd. Just my entry forced conversation within the sport as to “What if a woman met the qualification criteria to compete at the World Championships” (where women are prohibited from racing) and “Would USACK lobby for her to compete if she qualified?” I did not meet the time standard for men, but I cleared the air on what was possible for women in canoe, racing again at the Trials in 2003. This sparked a series of events that has eventually led USACK to add women's canoe events to the National Team Trials (in 2008), and prompting officials to name a national women's marathon canoe team in 2008 for the first time. Women are still prohibited from racing internationally in marathon canoe.
c. 2003 World Canoe/Kayak Championships - first World Championships to include women's canoe (as exhibition). I was the top US canoeist, finishing 5th in the C1 1000 meter event. No one outside of Canada has beaten me in the Singles (C1) events.
d. 2006 Pan American Championships - 5 Silver Medals and 1 Bronze (C1 & C2). The most medals won by anyone on the entire US men's or women's kayak and canoe teams, and the most I had ever won in international competition. My best race was in the C1 500m event, where I lost by only 1.5 seconds, the closest I have come (so far) to beating my Canadian counterparts.
e. 2006 Queen Liliuokalani Long Distance Canoe Race (18 miles) - Kailua - Kuna, Hawaii. 1st place with the Washington Canoe Club, Iron Open Koa Division and 11th overall out of 138 six-person - OC6 – women’s crews. This race took place 2 weeks before the Pan American (Sprint) Championships, (risky from a racing standpoint), but I had never raced outrigger in the ocean and this was the trip of a lifetime. We shocked the outrigger community by becoming the first “mainland” crew ever to win in the traditional '”Koa” (wood) boat division (made out of the rare Koa tree) and were the first mainland crew across the line against mostly carbon fiber/glass boats, which are much lighter. Magical day with a magical crew when we all gelled physically and mentally.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I admire and respect everything this organization is about and stands for. I always want to be associated with people who live an active life - testing themselves and learning about themselves physically and mentally every day. But I also like to be around people that live passionately and healthfully and who are activists for causes that benefit other people and society as a whole - people that want to be positive change agents in the world. I really do believe in that old Margaret Meade quote:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Hometown: Middlebury, CT
Current Residence: Oklahoma City, OK
Sport(s): Inline Speed Skating
Pro/Elite since: 2003
Date of Birth: March 5, 1984
Favorite fruit: Banana
Favorite veggie: Spinach
Hobbies/Other sports: Triathlon, Auto racing, cycling
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I stopped eating animal products in September of 2002. It was the first time I ever thought about what I was eating. I decided that it wasn’t right to kill animals for our consumption. I spent countless hours reading up on vegans and realized that I could be even healthier on a vegan diet than I was before. After I realized that, there was no turning back.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I haven’t had any problems at all. In fact, it’s been just the opposite. I never used to be a morning person. Now I look forward to my morning workouts and feel great all day. I have more energy than I know what to do with.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
My teammates are really supportive. I’m the only vegan one, but each of us has a pretty unique diet and we all respect each other. Other athletes expect me to be weak and slow when they find out I’m vegan. I really don’t know where that misconception comes from, but I do know that there is nothing better than proving them wrong!
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I’ve been skating for 12 years and competing for about 10. Until 2003 I was really only competing indoors. Indoor racing is a blast, but once I started doing outdoor marathons I was hooked.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I was really excited to find out that something like this even existed! This is something that I really believe in. I want people to see that you can be an elite athlete on a vegan diet. I think that once people start seeing the OA suits up in the front pack they will take notice and hopefully try and improve their diet as well. I’m already reading about more and more athletes switching over to a vegetarian diet or at least trying to consume larger amounts of fruits and vegetables. A team like this one will only help promote that faster.
Hometown: Kankakee, IL
Current Residence: Chicago, IL
Sport: Boxing
Pro/Elite since: 2003
Date of Birth: 4/10/87
Favorite fruit: I like a variety
Favorite veggie: potato
Hobbies/Other sports: Playing Chess, reading on health topics.
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
It was about last year (2005) when I read a raw food book.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you
noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I noticed that I am never sick like as I used to be. My overall well being is just better
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Yes, my trainer is very supportive.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
My start in boxing was difficult. I lost alot, but I stuck in there and went on to win 3 major tournaments.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
When I won the chicago golden gloves by KO.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I want to be apart of something that involves people like me. Its like being part of a team of people that has similar lifestyles.
Hometown: Duluth, MN
Current Residence: Seattle, WA
Sport: Ultramarathon
Pro/Elite since: 1998
Date of Birth: 10/26/73
Website: www.scottjurek.com
Favorite fruit: strawberries and blueberries, in season
Favorite veggie: kale
Hobbies/Other sports: cooking, gardening, reading, yoga, cycling, hiking, trail work
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I started transitioning in 1997 and fully transitioned to a vegan diet by 1999. I started the transition for health reasons and continued evolving my interest and commitment for environmental reasons.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I've noticed my recovery time is quicker, my energy level is higher, and I get sick less often. I feel great, but I want to emphasize that I eat a lot of calories and don't think of my diet at all as one with limitations or restrictions. To me it's opened up a vast new realm of quality foods!
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
I have to say I haven't received any criticism for my choice of foods. My performance results have only been improving, so I think it's hard to argue against my diet. The only comment I get is, "Scott, are you ever NOT eating?"
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I started Nordic skiing when I was 16 and when I was 20 I was introduced to a 50 mile trail race from a good friend of mine. We ran and trained on the trails for Nordic skiing and the transition to trail running and racing came easily for me.
5. Most memorable results or achievements (top 5)
* Seven consecutive wins at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, 1999-2005, with a course record in 2004 of 15:36.
* Win and course record of 24:36 in 2005 at the Badwater Ultramarathon.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
Great group of athletes supporting each other to get the message out that a vegan diet is the wave of the future for athletes and all aspiring to lead healthy lifestyles in harmony with the earth.
Hometown: Bennington, VT
Current Residence: Venice, CA
Sport(s): Mountain Running, Track and Field, Stair Climbing/Tower Racing, Marathon
Pro/Elite since: 2006
Date of Birth: 5/3/68
Website: www.runningraw.com
Favorite fruit: Banana/Kiwi
Favorite veggie: Romaine Lettuce
Hobbies/Other sports: Outdoor Photography, XC Skiing, Inline Skating
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I switched to a vegan lifestyle in 1998. At the time, I was an actor in Los Angeles and was concerned with keeping the signs of aging at bay. Since that time, I have experienced a complete physical and emotional transformation. I could now cite numerous reasons for choosing this lifestyle, such as animal cruelty, health, environmental impact, and most recently, improved athletic performance.
My transformation took another leap forward in 2004 when I became a raw vegan, excluding all cooked and processed foods. This choice was motivated by a desire to improve my health, but the impact has been all encompassing. The vitality and energy that I now experience are remarkable, I feel like I’m twenty years old again.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
Moving to a raw vegan diet was the best choice I’ve ever made as an athlete. My endurance has dramatically improved, and I recover from hard training and races in less than half the time. I’ve had to stop doing upper body workouts at the gym, because I now build muscle too quickly, which slows me down as a runner. My asthma is gone and I’m no longer troubled by joint pain.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Initially other athletes were critical, but seeing my rapid improvement has made them very curious. Now I get frequent inquiries about what “power foods” to eat during training and racing. I tell them that it’s not what you eat but rather what you DON’T eat that makes all the difference.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
It seemed as though my dreams of athletic glory as a runner and cross country skier had come to an end in 1989. Chronic knee and ankle pain, caused by numerous injuries, coupled with a severe case of exercise induced asthma, finally got the better of me. Over the next several years, I made a few attempts at training, but would quickly succumb to my injuries and asthma. In the mid 90’s I finally gave up any hopes of ever competing again, and sadly, of ever being in any kind of shape again.
It wasn't until November 3rd of 2005, my one year anniversary of becoming a raw vegan, that I decided to give it one more try. During the course of that year, my body had completely transformed. I was experiencing levels of energy equal to or greater than those that I had felt in my teens. Was this real or was it all in my head? I needed to find out. So at the age of 37, with nearly two decades of sedentary living as my base, I began to train. At that time, I hadn’t heard of any other raw vegan athletes, and had only heard of one vegan athlete. I had no examples to follow or mentors to advise me, just lots of questions, and a burning desire to see what was possible.
Within my first week of training, I realized that I was onto something big. My speed and endurance were far beyond what conventional wisdom deems possible in such a short period of time and after so many years of inactivity. More importantly, my asthma was gone and my knees and ankles were free of pain. I decided to test my limits and took to running up the steep mountains of the Los Angeles area. Within three months of beginning my training I had established myself as one of the best Mountain Runners in California. In the next six months, I had become one of the best Mountain Runners, and one of the top stair climb/tower racers in the country.
My next goal is to break the world outdoor mile record, and be the first person to break the four minute barrier at 40 years of age. This is not a personal goal, but a wake up call to all the cynics who believe that world class results are not possible on a diet of whole raw plant foods.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
My mission is to show the world that athletes who eat exclusively raw, whole, plant foods can not only stand atop the world stage, but can achieve levels of performance not possible on a conventional diet. I hope to inspire other athletes to take up this challenge and leave doping and steroids behind. As this movement grows, my dream is for these athletes to become role models for children, and help to educate people around the world about the benefits of choosing this lifestyle; for athletics is a language that transcends, race, religion and politics. It is a universal language capable of inspiring all that witness it’s expressions of grace, power and speed.
Hometown: Eugene, OR
Current Residence: Portland, OR
Sport: Basketball/Duathlete
Pro/Elite since: 1999
Date of Birth: 1/11/81
Website: www.wendygabbe.com
Favorite fruit: grapes, bananas and cherries
Favorite veggie: snap peas, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers straight from the garden
Hobbies/Other sports: Soccer, hiking, biking, running, cooking and traveling
1.When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I made the decision straight from the womb. Actually, my parents decided to become vegetarians about 30 years ago and raised my older brother and me in that way. When I was 5 or 6 years old my family went all vegan and I've lived that lifestyle ever since. My dad was always cooking up yummy vegan dishes and so my friends always wanted to come over to my house to eat!
2.What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
The only problem I encountered was finding vegan food while on the road with my college basketball team. I never knew which steak house we'd visit pre-game or what fast food we'd pick up after the game. So, I'd have to travel prepared. My bag was usually the heaviest on the team's because it was full of home-made power bars, granola and fruit. In terms of performance, I found I had more energy and endurance than my meat-eating teammates. Who would've thought a pre-game steak might make ya sluggish?
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3.Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
The majority of my teammates didn't understand why I was 'torturing' myself by not consuming the foods they feasted on. But I saw this as a challenge to stay the course and feel great about it! One of my teammates, also my best friend, became a vegetarian as well.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I grew up playing a lot of different sports, but fell in love with basketball at a very early age. It was so fun playing high school ball that I couldn't wait to take my game to the next level. Towards the end of my high school career I signed with NCAA Division 1 UC Irvine and played for the women's basketball team for four years and was a starter 3 ' of those years. After graduating I got involved with running and biking and now love to compete in duathlons.
5. Most memorable results or achievements
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
After reading about the organization and the phenomenal athletes involved (and that they were all vegan too!), I knew I had to be a part of it. I love the idea of promoting a vegan lifestyle through athletic pursuits.
Hometown:
Sport: Cycling
Favorite fruit: Mangos, strawberries, bananas, avocado
Hobbies/Other sports: Playing and listening to music, observing/studying/musing on culture/style/art, saving the world from itself at my own expense.
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
(2003) 1st Stage 8,
(2003) 2nd Points Competition, Wachovia Classic,
(1997) 1st Collegiate National Cyclo-Cross Championships, Denver, CO
(1996) 1st Hobeau Hills RR,
(1995) 1st Downers Grove Pro Crit Champs (Cat 1/2 race),
(1994) 1st Tour de Michigan:
(1993) 1st GS
(1993) 1st Tour de Toona Hot Spot Competition,
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
Current Residence: Mill Valley, CA
Sport: cycling, cyclo-cross and road
Pro/Elite since:1998
Favorite fruit: pomegranate
Favorite veggie: broccoli rabe
Hobbies/Other sports:trail running, baking desserts
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
This choice did not happen overnight. It was a 6-year progression from age 14 through 20. (I am now 34) Pork was the first to go after a mandatory pig dissection in junior high school. It was then that I realized where my bacon and pork chops came from. Wilbur the Pig was tortured and killed for my BLT. One by one, I eliminated the various two-eyed creatures from my menu as each moral dilemma arose. I could no longer carry the burden of knowing I am responsible for the relentless torture of predominantly docile creatures.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I am not a physiologist, but I feel like this is a very healthy way to live. I rarely get sick, my bones are good, I build muscle easily, and I recover quickly from hard training and racing. I even recover from routine injuries much faster than animal-consuming co-workers. I have come to the top of my discipline of my profession on a non-animal diet seemingly without any negative effects. I don't feel that comfortable being a proselytizer, but I can certainly recommend it. The foods are much easier on my body; more easily digestible and fewer exogenous toxins, to name a few examples.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
My current Velo Bella teammates as well as many other competitors of mine are very supportive of my diet.
In fact, the public would be amazed by how many of us athletes are vegetarian and even vegan. There is a lot of pressure put on athletes to conform to what is the most accepted version of diet, especially when this is known to be such a critical factor in performance. Athletes who are considering this type of diet typically worry that their conditioning will suffer by not getting their full array of essential amino acids and other nutrients, iron and calcium, and so on, that are traditionally come by in animal products. This can easily be taken care of with a sensible vegetable-based diet. In fact, my coach tries to promote a vegetarian diet for all of his clients. He sees animal products as a real obstacle to physiological improvement.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
I began my cycling career in 1995 as a mountain bike racer out of NYC. It was the only way i could get out of the city on the weekends! The first mountain bike I ever laid eyes on was a Breezer; it belonged to my (ex)boyfriend. It was love-at-first-sight! I knew i had to have that bike! Well, I bought the bike and shortly afterwards was offered a contract with Team Breezer, a women's professional cycling team (i was the only semi-pro on the team.) By 1997, I had packed up my desk at Morgan Stanley and moved to the Bay Area. In 1998, I started to work with a coach named Elmo who brought my fitness level up to the professional ranks within 6 months. I raced for Breezer for one more year as a pro, then ran my own pro cycling team called Team Jamba Juice for two years. The following year, I retired from mountain bike racing and began to focus on cyclo-cross. I started a team called Sally Spicer, a pro cyclo-cross team. At present, I race for Velo Bella, a women's team based out of The Bay Area, with Sally Spicer as a secondary sponsor. Due to a broken leg that i suffered during last year's cross season, I have been racing road full time this year to help get my fitness level back up.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
1. 2003 US National Team Member for cyclo-cross world's (29th place)
2. 2002 9th Place - Heerlen World cup (NED) - cyclo-cross
3. 2002 8th Place - Wetzikon World Cup (SUI) - cyclo-cross
4. 2004 1st Place - Santa Cruz Classic Criterium (first event I won since my broken leg incident last november - also first criterium win ever!)
5. 2002 US National Team (1st alternate) for CX world's
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I chose to join OA's Pro-Activist team so that my experiences and successes as a vegan athlete can be shared with a wider audience in hopes that I may serve as a role model for other athletes who are considering a vegan diet.
Hometown: Corvallis, OR
Current Residence: Corvallis, OR
Sport: Bodybuilding
Elite since: 2001
Date of Birth: March 2, 1980
Favorite fruits: Cherries and Blueberries
Favorite veggie: Potatoes
1. Why did you choose to stop eating animal products? When?
Growing up in Oregon, I lived on a farm and had many farm animals as pets. I always had a love and appreciation for animals and from an early age, I was concerned about their well-being. However, it wasn't until Dec. 8, 1995 that I decided to give up consuming meat. My older sister, Tanya, was organizing Animal Rights Week at my high school. I decided out of respect for her (a vegan since the age of 15) that I would become a vegetarian for the week. I attended lectures, listened to speakers, read literature about animal cruelty and watched videos about factory farms and animal testing, and that week of becoming vegetarian has lasted for the past seven years.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I have been vegan for nearly ten years and a successful athlete over this decade of compassionate athletics. Believe it or not, but I always wanted to be big and muscular when I was younger and in high school and never attained desired results when I ate meat. Of course we have to take into consideration the fact that I was only 15 years old when I stopped consuming meat, but when I switched to a vegan diet, all of sudden I started gaining muscle and weight. It may not make sense, based on the image and reputation vegans have of being weak and skinny, but I gained amazing amounts of muscle over the years that I have been vegan and involved in a weight-training program.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Throughout high school I played five different sports and had many teammates and coaches who I enjoyed working with. I definitely had more supportive teammates than those critical of my diet and lifestyle. One of my best friends in high school was also a vegan athlete and was one of the best at his sport in the state of Oregon. I was never the best in the state at any of the sports I played, but I was well above average in most of them and quite fast when it came to running. I was one of the best all around athletes in my high school of over 1,000 students and was probably ranked #7 in the school in long distance running before my bodybuilding years.
4. A brief history of athletic career
I played five sports in high school, but after high school I began my serious bodybuilding career in the year 2000. Previously my best sport was long distance running so I chose to go from one end of the spectrum all the way to the other. I trained and prepared for my first bodybuilding competition in 2001. I became well known in America and other parts of the world as a vegan bodybuilder, due to exposure in various fitness and bodybuilding magazines. In 2003 I competed in a heavyweight bodybuilding competition and placed 4th. I continue to train and inspire others, as a successful vegan bodybuilder.
5. Most memorable results or achievements
Some of my most memorable athletic achievements have nothing to do with bodybuilding. One is playing in, and winning an international soccer game against Panama. Another is defeating two Olympic runners in a 5,000 meter race in 1999. Another one might seem silly but took lots of discipline was performing push-ups and sit-ups in 839 consecutive days. In bodybuilding, it is performing on stage as a vegan bodybuilder in a heavyweight class. Another in bodybuilding is meeting bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger. The last one is creating Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, a company I founded in 2002.
6. Why did you join PRO-Activist Team?
I was invited to join this group of vegan athletes by Bradley Saul. I joined and contributed articles and photos to the OrganicAthlete website to be a part of a group of pro-active, forward thinking, like-minded successful vegan athletes. I look forward to using this experience to influence other up-and-coming vegan athletes, supporting them on their journey to personal enrichment and achievement of goals.
Hometown: Happydale, MI
Current Residence: gypsy
Sport: pro dance
Pro/Elite since: age 15
Date of Birth: 10/8/76
Favorite fruit: fuerte avocado
Favorite veggie: purple kale
Hobbies/Other sports: fire spinning, flag dancing, road tripping, hiking, writing, sculpting, Chaos Magick and dreams
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
I grew up in a small farming community in south-central Michigan. My loving grandparents owned 130 acres and a slaughterhouse and I remember clearly the moment my 8 year-old brain comprehended what was going on between the holding pens and the freezers. Vegetarianism became my default lifestyle immediately in 1984, as a way to rid the guilty-conscious-sick feeling from my dinner table. I continued to develop as any fatally artistic, morbidly romantic, people-loving introvert might---discovering gardening, lucid dreaming and a career in the performing arts. I dove into veganism in much the same unconscious way. This time as a test of late teen will power and desire for experimentation (experience being the only valid way I have found to gain wisdom). I am now 27 years old and am finally learning that my own health is as fundamental to the planet as other species�. After 20 years of being vegetarian and 10 years vegan, I thought I thought I was healthy. Until I went raw. That was 2 years ago and the difference is profound!
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
First and foremost I notice a feeling of personal integrity. The raw food lifestyle is truly an expression of mySelf and my body is a mirror for that. We are what we eat, as they say, and I'd rather be a sexy young coconut than empty puffy pasta - even if it is whole wheat! As an athlete I notice that my body responds almost immediately to the requests I make of it. Recovery time, strength building, cardio capacity and flexibility are no longer mysteries, but givens. Coordination too, a delight for this dancer, has skyrocketed now that I eat raw. As a human in general, my complexion, which was once a source of turmoil, is now absolutely radiant, menstruation as a method of detox has ceased (this is common for raw women, who still ovulate and conceive as 'normal' or better in my opinion) and most importantly, the raw vegan lifestyle has made it possible for me to live a happily unmedicated Bipolar life!
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
My passionate relationship with life has been met with overwhelming support from others!
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
Tap dancing since 4 years old, I took to the community theatre stage when I was 6. Growing up I continued to train (celebrate) as a dancer an average of 15 hours/wk and at 14 I began teaching dance to other students. When I was 15 I landed my first role in professional theatre and had no idea what to do with all the money, so I bought myself a CD player and 5 CD's (oh, young pleasures!). Three rest is history - dancing in NYC companies, Chicago musical theatre and national tours, I honestly can say I am living my dream and appreciating every second of it.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
Wild, free, artistic people take care of their bodies and the environment. In fact, being conscious and caring is the new definition of cool, so c'mon people, let�s start the next popular fad! Let's see icons eating avocados, role models shopping resale and parents making exercise a joyous priority. I am an OrganicAthlete PROactivist because I want young people to know what cool really is. I want athletes to know that the raw vegan lifestyle is not a 'possible' diet for training, but the optimal diet for training. And I want all humans to know that discovery of the Self is the path that leads us here. Ask yourself who you really are and if you are being that person right now. Losing weight, loving yourself, feeling young and saving the earth are all beneficial side effects of self-intimacy. Find out who you are and express that perfection!
Hometown:
Current Residence:
Sport: triathlon
Pro/Elite since: 1998
Date of Birth: March 1st, 1975
Favorite fruit: Apple
Favorite veggie: spinach
Hobbies/Other sports: typing stuff on my computer
1. Why did you choose to stop eating animal products? When?
I stopped eating meat in 1990, all animal products in 1999. Although I stopped drinking milk in 1990 as well, I continued to eat cheese until about 1994. After that I was near vegan but still ate some things that had cheese in them until 1999 when I became a "strict vegan".
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
Faster recovery times are the primary advantage I've noticed. Since I'm able to recover faster I can train more which of course leads to greater gains. The only negative thing I can say about a vegan diet is the convenience factor. It's of course hard to find balanced vegan food when eating out. Really though it's a small price to pay for the advantages. As more people are becoming vegan it's getting easier to find good food while traveling or eating out.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
At first other athletes told me I should really start eating meat. Now of course, they realize that vegan is a completely viable diet for high performance athletes. However some people still don't get it. They'll say, "I can't believe how much training you are able to handle, I could never recover from that kind of work load", then, when they see me eating something "different", they say, "Why do you eat that kind of stuff". The connection is often not made. Maybe what I eat has something to do with it? Could this be? Fine with me.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
Started running is 1990, doing duathlons in 1993, triathlons in 1994, Ironman and marathons in 1998.
5. Most memorable results or achievements
2003 - 1st 50km Canadian Ultra
2002 - 8th Ironman
2001 - 11th Ironman
2001 - 3rd Canadian Ironman Championships
1998 - 2nd Royal Victoria Marathon.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
I like that fact that OrganicAthlete has taken the initiative to bring like minded athletes together and to serve as a resource for all who seek information.
Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA
Current Residence: Park City, Utah
Sport: Mountain Biking
Pro/Elite since:2000
Date of Birth: 03/26/75
Favorite fruits: Oranges, Bananas, Apples
Favorite veggies: Carrots, Tomatoes, Sprouts, Spinach
Hobbies/Other sports: Cooking, reading, street skateboarding
1. When and why did you choose to stop eating animal products?
1992, after a week's binge on Burger King.
2. What has been your experience as a vegan athlete? Have you noticed any performance or health benefits or problems?
I only need to watch Iron levels when going to altitude for prolonged periods - an Iron supplement is necessary. I find being a vegan athlete is an asset in that so much detail is put into your diet that its only natural for meals to be of the highest quality - something imperative as an athlete.
3. Have teammates and other athletes been supportive or critical?
Everyone asks if I'm having sticks or bark for dinner.
4. A brief history of your athletic career.
8 yrs of skateboarding led to 8 yrs of road and mountain bike racing. There were a few years of overlap between the two sports - and those were the best.
5. Most memorable results or achievements.
Racing with the sport's best - Lance, Ned, Tinker, Bobke, Roland...I've slayed them at least once, sometimes only once, but that's all it takes.
6. Why did you join OA's PRO-Activist team?
To lead by example and share information.