At The Sochi Olympics, Vegans are Champions

Vegan athletes at the Sochi Olympics

To compete in the Olympic Games, athletes must be at their peak physical performance. Russian bobsledder Alexey Voyevoda and Canadian figure skater Meagan Duhamel prove that powerhouse plant-based foods are the way to gain energy, recover quickly and win medals.

Meagan Duhamel, competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, won a silver medal in team figure skating while fueling her body with largely whole, plant-based foods.

While clearly enjoying the health benefits, Meagan initially became vegan for ethical reasons: “I’m a very compassionate person so hearing about animal abuse kind of triggered something in me that maybe I should try it.” Most admirably, even after earning many medals in her career, Meagan says “one of my proudest accomplishments has been going vegan.”

And Meagan wasn’t the only vegan athlete to come out on top at the Sochi Olympics: Alexey Voyevoda took home a gold medal for bobsledding. He credits his vegan diet for his win, declaring that it makes him feel “lighter” and “clearer.”

A former arm-wrestling champion, Alexey’s strong build provides all the evidence we need to show that plants pack plenty of punch when it comes to protein. Voyevoda, a vegan for more than three years, says “at first, I approached it from a scientific standpoint. However, I then came to have some ethical views about this diet. I love happy, living animals.”

Feeling inspired? Try these recipes for a plant-based, post-workout meal.