Plant Based Athletes | No Meat Athlete

By: Robert Cheeke

It’s no secret that plant-based athletes are having a second…

Lots of the world’s high and most talked about athletes follow a plant-based diet, equivalent to soccer stars Alex Morgan, co-captain of the US Ladies’s World Cup successful soccer crew, and Lionel Messi, to not point out the numerous plant-based athletes making their approach onto the tennis courts, racetracks, soccer fields, and in NBA basketball arenas throughout the nation.

Runners, bodybuilders, weight lifters, and athletes from all stripes appear to be leaning towards crops for optimum athletic efficiency greater than ever earlier than. (Even Tom Brady, although definitely not vegan, eats a plant-centered food regimen.)

Why? As a result of the advantages are actual.

You’ve recognized that. I’ve recognized that. And now skilled athletes and your entire world are attending to know that at an unbelievable charge.

And with every new skilled’s success story comes further motivation and drive…

Motivation to get stronger and fitter, and drive to unfold the phrase about what’s doable on a plant-based food regimen.

So as we speak I’m sharing a few of my favourite tales and athletes proper now who I hope will provide you with the identical stage of motivation they’ve given me.

Athletes who’re completely crushing it on a plant-based food regimen, and what you’ll be able to take away or be taught from their success.

#10: Natalie Matthews

The Athlete
Natalie, a bikini competitor in one of many divisions throughout the bigger bodybuilding and health business, turned professional in 2018 throughout the IFBB (Worldwide Federation of Physique Builders) as one of many high bikini rivals on the earth. In 2019, she competed throughout the nation, putting as excessive as 4th in an Olympia-qualifying professional present on the Battle on the Falls in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, only one spot behind three-time world champion, Ashley Kaltwasser. Natalie additionally positioned seventh on the IFBB Indy Professional in Indianapolis, Indiana in her first full season as an IFBB Professional. Her bikini division is the preferred, and subsequently best, of any class throughout the bodybuilding business. Along with being one of many world’s high bikini rivals, Natalie is a former skilled surfer, and is an expert chef and cookbook creator. If 2019 was any indication of what to anticipate from Natalie sooner or later, it’s a great guess that 2020 will probably be much more epic for the Puerto Rican chef turned world famend health mannequin.

Having labored and toured with Natalie, I’ve seen that her recipe for achievement is her ardour mixed along with her work ethic.

When she units a objective, she creates a plan, develops habits, and makes deliberate, each day actions that assist her obtain her objectives.

The Takeaway
Look inside and discover what your personal ardour is and create motion plans for each day steps that get you nearer to your objective.

It may very well be so simple as writing a objective down that you simply see each single day, or waking up early to finish your exercise earlier than your day will get away from you. With Natalie, it’s all about priorities, and if it issues to her, she’ll discover a approach. It has served her effectively as a newcomer to a sport the place she is already the most effective on the planet.

For extra details about Natalie, and to see how she crushed it in 2019, comply with her on Instagram at @fitveganchef or on www.fitveganchef.com.

#9: Torre Washington

The Athlete
Torre is a champion bodybuilder and physique competitor on the highest stage — he has been both a vegetarian or vegan practically his whole life. He earned his IFBB skilled standing in 2018, and competed all through the previous yr, putting as excessive as third on the first absolutely drug-tested IFBB Professional present in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He additionally completed 4th on the Muscle Contest in Los Angeles, California. Alongside along with his high 5 finishes on the most prestigious stage {of professional} bodybuilding, inside essentially the most aggressive class of males’s physique, Torre additionally traveled the world selling the plant-based athlete life-style from Australia to Mexico. He’s a wanted private coach, eBook creator, coach, and worldwide public speaker. Torre can be featured within the movie, From The Floor Up, and he has grow to be some of the influential vegan bodybuilders on the earth.

Torre’s success stems from a honest need to assist others. That is evident to anybody who has adopted him on-line in recent times, and really clear to me, as somebody who has recognized Torre for greater than a decade.

Torre can be a real fan of the game he competes in. He cheers on different rivals, and needs to see everybody grow to be the very best variations of themselves. In a sport that’s inherently aggressive, primarily based on subjective judging, the place athletes are fairly actually in comparison with each other on stage, Torre is a fan of the method. He is aware of that on the finish of the day, it’s him vs. him, and he has by no means overlooked that. It’s that strategy that has made him the most effective vegan bodybuilders on the earth, and definitely some of the influential.

The Takeaway
Smile typically, elevate others up, and share your ardour with others. Torre at all times appears glad, and it’s seemingly that constructive perspective that retains him forward of the competitors in a reasonably remoted sport of bodybuilding.

For extra details about Torre, and to see how he crushed it in 2019, comply with him on Instagram at @torre.washington or on www.torrewashington.com.

#8: Mary Schneider

The Athlete
Mary is an extended distance runner who certified for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials within the marathon. With a private finest time of two:42.01 (which is a 6:11 tempo for 26.2 miles), she certified for the USA Olympic Trials in 2019, and eyes the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer time Video games. Over the previous yr, Mary has been a key member of the Prado Racing Crew in San Diego, CA, and she or he grew to become the 2019 San Diego USATF XC Ladies’s Champion. With a blistering tempo for the half marathon at 1:17:38, which is a 5:56 tempo, she has been an Total Feminine Winner in races from her native San Diego to Virginia Seashore, and from Lehigh Valley to Delaware.

As a plant-based athlete since 2017, Mary has seen a major enchancment in her athletic efficiency, restoration after coaching, and has set her all-time private information in distances from 5k to marathon. She works as a holistic nutritionist and is a USATF licensed working coach, having coached freshmen to those that have certified for Olympic Trials. If that wasn’t sufficient, Mary can be a lawyer and a yoga teacher, and leads by instance as she follows her ardour to make her desires occur.

What I discover particularly inspiring about Mary is that she took time away from the game of aggressive working to pursue a regulation diploma and get her profession began, however then she returned to working on the highest stage and carried out at her highest.

The Takeaway
An awesome lesson from her instance is that it’s by no means too late to do what you’re keen on. I do know first hand as a former runner, turned bodybuilder, turned runner once more (and ultimately turned weightlifter once more), that even after an extended hiatus, success and pleasure might be present in a sport you’re keen on. So if there’s a sport that tugs at your coronary heart, however that you simply haven’t pursued in fairly a while, as we speak may very well be the proper day to do one thing once more for the primary time.

For extra details about Mary, and to see how she crushed it in 2019, comply with her on Instagram at @greenbodymary or on www.greenbodyrunner.com.

#7: Liz Cambage

The Athlete
Liz is an expert basketball participant within the WNBA, as an all-star middle for the Las Vegas Aces. Following her distinctive 2018 season, the place she set a WNBA scoring document with 53 factors scored in a single recreation, she returned to the WNBA all-star recreation in 2019 and led her crew to the publish season playoffs. Along with being a three-time WNBA all-star, Liz was additionally named to the 2019 All-WNBA Second Crew, and she or he completed the season ranked tenth within the league in scoring, seventh in rebounding, and sixth in blocked photographs.

Liz not solely had one other breakout basketball season, however she additionally had a breakout yr as a global star when she graced the quilt of ESPN Journal’s Physique Difficulty, during which well-known athletes pose nude or semi-nude, exhibiting their skilled athlete our bodies in tasteful methods. Liz is part of a rising group of WNBA and NBA gamers who’ve adopted a plant-based food regimen. Different notable plant-based basketball stars embody Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, JaVale McGee, DeAndre Jordan, and Diana Taurasi.

Excelling in sports activities hasn’t at all times come simple for Liz. Actually, she has spoken brazenly about her struggles with psychological well being. She penned an open letter to the Gamers Tribune the place she shared her personal struggles, but in addition with some uplifting phrases for readers, together with, in an outline of her letter, “I simply need everybody to keep in mind that we’re all human, all of us have our ups and downs and we must always by no means be ashamed of our emotions. And please bear in mind to be form to 1 one other, for you by no means know what others are going by way of.”

The Takeaway
There are various classes right here, together with the easy incontrovertible fact that all of us have emotions, regardless of how well-known we’re, and fame, success, and cash don’t make underlying points go away. Liz encourages us to handle our emotions, embrace them, and speak about them, earlier than they take management over us.

For extra details about Liz, and to see how she crushed it in 2019, comply with her on Instagram at @ecambage or on Twitter.

#6: Morgan Mitchell

The Athlete
Olympic sprinter Morgan Mitchell is a star within the blockbuster movie, The Sport Changers, and she or he had an unbelievable 2019 season on the monitor. Between distances of 200 and 1600 meters, she racked up three 1st place finishes, and a whopping 13 high 3 finishes. She additionally received a number of relay races and had 4 high 3 finishes within the 4 x 400 meter crew relay. Along with her native Australia, Morgan competed world wide, taking her abilities to China, Italy, Nice Britain, France, Qatar, Japan, and the US. With the 2020 Tokyo Summer time Olympics across the nook, maintain a watch out for Morgan to crush it in 2020 too.

As Morgan addresses in The Sport Changers, she is searching for an edge as an elite athlete, and she or he found that edge by way of food regimen. Many people speak about outcomes we wish to obtain sometime, so simple as a New Yr’s Decision, or as lofty as qualifying for the Boston Marathon, however there’s a elementary distinction between wishing and doing. Morgan is aware of that as we speak’s exercise impacts tomorrow, and that a whole bunch of days sooner or later, the Olympic Video games happen. Having a objective, setting a goal, and dealing each day to achieve a vacation spot that’s far off within the distance is the mentality of an Olympic athlete.

The Takeaway
Whether or not you’ve gotten aspirations of being the most effective on the earth at what you’re keen on, otherwise you merely wish to have extra power and a greater temper, take a web page out of Morgan’s playbook and give attention to the longer term by taking advantage of as we speak.

For extra details about Morgan, and to see how she crushed it in 2019, comply with her on Instagram at @morganmitch or on teammathewsrunning.com.au.

#5: Hin Chun Chui

The Athlete
Hin Chun Chui is a vegan bodybuilder, and is rapidly rising as some of the profitable and dominant aggressive bodybuilders within the business. In 2019, Hin took 6 first place trophies, following a yr of taking dwelling gold 6 occasions in 2018. Competing world wide, selling the vegan bodybuilding life-style, Hin has grow to be a global star. Profitable the IFBB Denmark Professional Nordic World Present in a number of divisions, in addition to the IFBB Canada Ben Weider Pure Championship in physique and in bodybuilding, and the IFBB Asia Professional Qualifier Taiwan in two divisions on the finish of December, capped off an excellent yr for Hin taking up the world stage. With twelve first place finishes, together with a number of world championships over the previous two years, whereas simply in his early twenties, Hin has an extremely shiny future within the sport of bodybuilding and past.

One thing I’ve discovered from Hin after watching him compete in individual, and from assembly him, in addition to following his profession for years, is that he doesn’t let something get in his approach. He actually trains six or seven days per week, permitting his physique to adapt to a excessive workload, similar to a marathon runner is ready to maintain a coaching routine of six or seven days per week of working because of adaptation, and he has conditioned himself to handle a excessive quantity of train to attain his objectives. He believes he might be the most effective on the earth, and he enthusiastically pursues that mission due to his love for the vegan life-style and his need to unfold consciousness of veganism because of his athletic success as a vegan bodybuilder.

The Takeaway
Regardless of his unbelievable success, Hin can be humble and gracious and is aware of that to be nice at something takes a crew effort, and is fast to thank his coaching companions, coaches, sponsors, and followers who cheer him on alongside the way in which. That’s a lesson that every one of us can get behind. Be grateful, however keep hungry.

For extra details about Hin, and to see how he crushed it in 2019, comply with him on Instagram at @vegan_bodybuilder_hin_chui or on cleanmachineonline.com.

#4: Robbie Balenger

The Athlete
Robbie is an extremely endurance athlete, finest recognized for his 3,175-mile run across the United States over the course of 75 days from March to Might of 2019. That’s a minimal of working 40 miles per day for 75 consecutive days, with a median of 42.3 miles coated each day, with no days off, which is unimaginable for most individuals. Not solely did he run from Los Angeles to New York in two and a half months, he did it largely to lift consciousness of the facility of a plant-based food regimen. Robbie’s transcontinental run was sponsored by the Texas-based vegan ice cream firm, Nada Moo, and his effort raised consciousness of the dairy-free life-style at giant. Robbie appeared on the Wealthy Roll Podcast on the finish of 2019, reaching an unlimited viewers, sharing his distinctive journey throughout the nation.

I adopted Robbie’s journey throughout the nation, and regrettably by no means joined him for a number of miles when he ran by way of my present dwelling state of Arizona. Robbie’s accomplishment jogs my memory of the late Steve Prefontaine who was America’s biggest working legend within the ‘70s recognized for testing the bounds of the human coronary heart.

The Takeaway
Robbie had the audacity to imagine he may run considerably additional than a marathon each single day for 75 consecutive days, and so he did. If he can imagine in himself sufficient to make that dream occur, think about what potential lies in every one in all us. What desires do you’re feeling like chasing? What objectives do you wish to conquer?

For extra details about Robbie, and to see how he crushed it in 2019, comply with him on Instagram at @robbiebalenger or on plantpoweredmission.com.

#3. Lewis Hamilton

The Athlete
Lewis is a Formulation One race automobile driver, thought-about to be one of many biggest of all-time. He’s a six-time Formulation One World Champion driving a Mercedes on race tracks world wide. In 2019, he gave the impression to be successful races round each flip. Lewis took the primary place crown a document 11 occasions, together with in 4 consecutive races, and 6 out of seven consecutive begins. He introduced dwelling the title from racetracks in Bahrain, China, Spain, Monaco, Canada, France, Nice Britain, Hungary, Russia, Mexico, and Abu Dhabi. Lewis makes use of his platform, together with his Instagram viewers of greater than 14 million followers, to advertise a plant-based food regimen. As an government producer of The Sport Changers, Lewis made a giant splash in 2019 amongst a plant-based group largely beforehand unaware of his accomplishments on the racetrack.

He speaks out for animals and the setting, and crosses over into numerous different ventures past the racetrack, together with style. In 2019, Lewis set an all-time document in Formulation One racing with 413 factors and 17 podiums, along with his sights set on a shiny racing season in 2020.

The Takeaway
I’ve by no means met Lewis, however have adopted him on-line for a lot of months, after I heard about his involvement with The Sport Changers. One thing that strikes me as significantly inspiring about Lewis is that he appears to be extra genuine than many different celeb athletes. He actually seems to have a quiet confidence about him that could be a power that units the tone for the success he achieves in sports activities, in enterprise, and in life. He comes throughout as actually himself, whether or not you prefer it or not, and there’s something extremely admirable about that as viewer and fan watching from afar.

If there’s one factor we are able to be taught from Lewis, it’s that there’s energy in being your genuine self. If he can have a constructive affect on hundreds of thousands of others to speak that concept, he can have executed an excellent service to humanity.

For extra details about Lewis, and to see how he crushed it in 2019, comply with him on Instagram at @lewishamilton or on lewishamilton.com.

#2. Novak Djokovic

The Athlete
Novak is the primary ranked males’s tennis participant on the earth. In 2019, he received 5 tournaments, together with the Australian Open, Madrid Open, Japan Open, Paris Masters, and the distinguished Wimbledon title in epic style over Roger Federer in one of many biggest championship matches in historical past. With a 57-11 singles document, and greater than $13 million in match earnings in 2019, we are able to safely say that Novak crushed it final yr. Like Lewis Hamilton, Novak can be an government producer of The Sport Changers and has used his platform to encourage others to undertake a plant-based food regimen. The game of tennis isn’t any stranger to plant-based athletes. Venus and Serena Williams have dominated the game for many years, and for the previous ten years they’ve adopted a principally or solely plant-based food regimen. Martina Navratilova is taken into account to be one of many biggest feminine tennis gamers of all-time and is a long-time vegetarian.

Because the yr and the last decade got here to a detailed, Novak was named the ATP’s Males’s Tennis Participant of the Decade. However to not be complacent, he kicked off 2020 with a bang by successful the Australian Open for a document eighth time and is on tempo to grow to be the best males’s tennis participant of all time.

The Takeaway
What I like about Novak is that it looks as if each time I see him speaking on digicam, he’s discussing a plant-based food regimen. The plant-based athlete motion remains to be new sufficient that there’s a lot of ridicule on the market towards these of us who stay and eat this manner. However Novak resides it boldly, and that can hopefully encourage different athletes, from world-class to weekend warriors, to really feel comfy saying “I’m a plant-based athlete.” Perhaps that conjures up you to be unapologetically plant-based too.

For extra details about Novak, and to see how he crushed it in 2019, comply with him on Instagram at @djokernole or on novakdjokovic.com.

#1. Alex Morgan

The Athlete
Alex is the co-captain of the US Ladies’s World Cup Champion soccer crew, and she or he uplifted a complete nation along with her efficiency within the 2019 Ladies’s World Cup. As arguably the preferred athlete of the yr, along with her summer season spent within the international highlight, this plant-based athlete World Cup champ is my 2019 Plant-Based mostly Athlete of the Yr. Alex not solely let her ability on the soccer area do the speaking, however she graced journal covers, appeared on tv reveals, and received awards all yr because the quintessential champion of champions. Alex supplied inspiration to a complete gender, and full nation, and to the world at giant on the largest stage on the earth’s hottest sport.

Fueled by crops, Alex has established herself as one of many biggest of all-time in her sport and can stay a sports activities icon for years to come back. It comes at no shock that Alex made the TIME 100 Most Influential Individuals record for 2019. Like Torre, Alex was additionally featured within the plant-based athlete documentary, From The Floor Up. Together with her lengthy record of accolades and awards, maybe her most enjoyable information of 2019 was introduced in October when she and her husband shared the information that they’re anticipating a child woman in April.

The Takeaway
The factor that conjures up me about Alex is that she was already on the world stage as a well-known athlete and she or he didn’t let that deter her from altering her food regimen to eat solely crops. Typically occasions, the world’s biggest athletes have been discouraged from altering their approaches to diet or coaching with a worry from coaches, teammates, nutritionists, crew sponsors, and crew house owners that their efficiency will probably be negatively impacted.

Alex reveals us that it’s okay to belief your intestine and eat in alignment along with your beliefs. And she or he did it whereas strolling proper into the worldwide highlight because the brightest star of 2019 of any athlete in any sport.

For extra details about Alex, and to see how she crushed it in 2019, comply with her on Instagram at @alexmorgan13 or on alexmorgansoccer.com.

And That is Simply the Starting…

Increasingly more athletes are switching to a plant-based food regimen and excelling due to it.

And as that development continues, so does our motivation to indicate the world what’s doable consuming solely crops.

Which plant-based athletes are your greatest inspirations?

Concerning the Writer: Robert Cheeke, best-selling creator of Plant-Based mostly Muscle, Shred It!, and Vegan Bodybuilding & Health, 2-time champion bodybuilder, and founder/president of Vegan Bodybuilding & Health – www.veganbodybuilding.com.