Five plant-based Olympians sure to make your jaw drop

Granted, we’ve already shared with you lists of both strong men and women who eat plant-based diets. Also, it’s 2019. Hopefully most of us are aware at this point that you can not only survive, but thrive without eating animals — and that, no, plants don’t have feelings, Bob. Seriously.

Just in case the point hasn’t been driven home yet, today we’ve got another list for the merchants of doubt among us. If the endurance athleticism of Rich Roll, or the heavy lifting prowess of Bianca Taylor were not enough to make you a believer, the achievements of these plant-powered Olympians surely will.

Here are five Olympic athletes that’ll make even the fittest among us feel like absolute potatoes.

Meagan Duhamel

Canadian pair skater Meagan Duhamel is a full-on vegan and animal advocate we just can’t stop talking a-boat.

She regularly promotes plant-based products on Instagram, and even rescued a dog from the South Korean dog meat trade.

While she’s a huge proponent of whole foods, and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, Duhamel admits her favorite indulgence is nachos. Can’t say we blame her.

This pint-sized athlete is by no means small in spirit and has taken home not one, but three Olympic medals, including a gold at the 2018 event — which, as far as we’re concerned, has earned her all the nachos she can stomach.

Kendrick Farris

Kendrick Farris is a US Olympic weightlifter who eats an entirely plant-based diet, and says he’s motivated not only by nutrition, but ethics.

Staples of Farris’s diet include nuts and fruit but he apparently doesn’t turn down a good bowl of guac either. Who can?

Farris has not only competed in the Olympics but broke the US record for both snatch, and clean and jerk, in 2016.

Carl Lewis

Track and field athlete Carl Lewis, another member of Team USA, went fully vegan at the age of 30.

It may come as a surprise to some — Bob — that all of his best performance came after his change in diet, and can he ever perform.

In fact, the guy’s taken home a whopping nine Olympic gold medals. If that doesn’t make the nay sayers sit down, nothing will.

Venus and Serena Williams

Olympic athletes Venus and Serena Williams, perhaps the best-known tennis stars of all time, are a bit of a different case than the other athletes on this list.

While both eat a mostly plant-based diet, they do include animal products from time to time.

That said, during competition season, these sisters trend toward a plant-based, mostly raw diet for optimum performance on the court.

Header image: Facebook/Living Vegan
Body images: Facebook