Plant-Based Athletes

So humans can not thrive without animal protein?

The vegan and vegetarian athletes on this list beg to differ.

Athlete
Diet
Notes

Auto Racing

Andy Lally
Vegan
Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series, American Le Mans Series
Leilani Munter
Vegan
(vegan since 2011)

Baseball

Prince Fielder
Vegetarian
1st baseman for Detroit Tigers

Basketball

BJ Armstrong
Vegetarian
Robert Parish
Vegetarian
Basketball Hall of Fame (2003)
Anthony Peeler
Vegetarian
Salim Stoudamire
Vegan
Jacque Vaughn
Vegan
Bill Walton
Vegetarian

Bodybuilding

Aura Andrew
Vegan
Ed Bauer
Vegan
Albert Beckles
Vegetarian
Chad Byers
Vegan
Andreas Cahling
Vegan
Richard Campbell
Vegan
Robert Cheeke
Vegan
Alexander Dargatz
Vegan
Body-Building World Champion (2005)
Cory Everson
Vegetarian
Jericho Fine
Vegan
Luiz Freitas
Vegetarian
James Hatchel
Vegan
Robbie Hazeley
Vegan
Roy Hilligenn
Vegetarian
Mr. America (1951)
Nathane Jackson
Vegan
Tonya Kay
Vegan
Also professional dancer
Jehina Malik
Vegan
Giacomo Marchese
Vegan
Frank Medrano
Vegan
Jim Morris
Vegan
(since 1985)
Denise Nicole
Vegan
Marcus Patrick
Vegan
Bill Pearl
Vegetarian
Mr. Universe (x5), WBBG World's Best Built Man (1971)
Patrick Reiners
Vegan
Michelle Risley
Vegan
Stephanie-Jane Rowden
Vegan
Billy Simmonds
Vegan
Mr. Universe of 2009
Amber Sperling
Vegan
Korin Sutton
Vegan
Derek Tresize
Vegan
Will Tucker
Vegan
Torre Washington
Vegan
Kenneth Williams
Vegan

Boxing

David Haye
Vegan
World Cruiserweight Champion (2007), WBA Heavyweight champion (2009)
Keith Holmes
Vegan
World Middleweight Champion (2001)
Peter Hussing
Vegan
Olympics (1972), World Amateur Championships (1982)
Donny Lalonde
Vegan
Elena Walendzik
Vegan
German featherweight Champion (2005)

Cycling

Estelle Gray
Vegan
Cross-country tandem cycling world record holders w/Cheryl Marekq
Catherine Johnson
Vegan
Cyclocross
Zak Kovalcik
Vegan
Track cyclist, 2-time winner of the North American Cycle Courier Championships
Robert Lichtenwalner
Vegan
Mountain Biker
Cheryl Marekq
Vegan
Cross-country tandem cycling world record holders w/Estelle Gray
Robert Millar
Vegetarian
Winner of the King of the Mountains competition, 5 stages in Tour de France
Adam Myerson
Vegan
Professional road and cyclocross cyclist.
Judith Oakley
Vegan
Cross-country runner and 3 times Welsh Mountain Bike and Cyclocross Champion
Jason Sager
Vegan
Christine Vardaros
Vegan
David Zabriskie
Vegan

Fitness Competitor

Kristine Belliston
Vegan
Mindy Collette
Vegan
Simone Collins
Vegan
Dr. Harriet Davis
Vegan
Melissa Hauser
Vegan
Samantha Hya
Vegan
Kody Kowalowski
Vegan
Gianna Miceli
Vegan
Tatum Miranda
Vegan
Yolanda Presswood
Vegan
Jessica Roberts
Vegan
Koya Webb
Vegan

Football

David Carter
Vegan
defensive lineman
Arian Foster
Vegan
running back
Desmond Howard
Vegetarian
wide receiver/punt returner
Joe Namath
Vegetarian
quarterback
Ricky Williams
Vegan
running back

Freerunning

Tim Shieff
Vegan
Barclaycard World Free-run Champion (2009)

Gymnastics

Kathy Johnson
Vegetarian
Ingra Manecki
Vegan

Hockey

Georges Laraque
Vegan
Mike Zigomanis
Vegan

MMA / UFC

Mac Danzig
Vegan
Ultimate Fighter 6 winner (2007), King Of The Cage Lightweight Champ (2005)
Nate Diaz
Vegan
Ultimate Fighter 5 lightweight tournament winner
Nick Diaz
Vegan
Strikeforce Welterweight Champion (2003), WEC Welterweight Champion (2010)
Jon Fitch
Vegan
Erle Montaigue
Vegan
Ricardo Moreira
Vegan
Harri Nieminem
Vegan
Kickboxer
Chris Prince
Vegan
Jake Shields
Vegetarian
James Wilks
Vegan

Other

Ridgely Abele
Vegan
Karate national champion
Pam Boteler
Vegan
Sprint Canoeist (won medals at PanAm and US Championships competing against men!)
Chris Campbell
Vegan
Wrestling Gold Medalist (1981)
Sebastian Grubb
Vegetarian
Professional Dancer, Fitness Trainer, Nutrition Coach
Craig Heath
Vegan
Figure skating
Anton Innauer
Vegetarian
Olympic gold medal in Ski Jump (1980)
Seba Johnson
Vegan
Vegan since birth. Made history as the Youngest Alpine Ski Racer in the Olympics at the tender age of 14, during the 1988 Olympics.
Jack LaLanne
Vegetarian
Fitness, exercise and nutritional expert
Silken Laumann
Vegetarian
Canadian champion rower, 2 Olympic gold medals
Judy Ledenlge
Vegetarian
British world hang gliding champion
Ingra Manecki
Vegan
World champion discus thrower
Leslie Marx
Vegetarian
American fencer, two-time national champion
Jutta Muller
Vegetarian
German skater & windsurfing World Cup champion
Weia Reinboud
Vegan
Masters High jumper
David Smith
Vegan
Won gold at the 2009 World Rowing Championships.

Powerlifting

Willie Austin
Vegan
World Drug Free Powerlifting Champion (1990), Trainer
Patrik Baboumian
Vegan
Current holder of "Strongest Man of Germany" title, 2009 World record log lift (358 lbs), 2012 European Strongman Champion, 2013 carried 1212 lbs. 10 meters
Tiffany Croker
Vegan
Avi Lehyani
Vegan
Pat Reeves
Vegan
Accomplished marathon runner but best known for her acheivements in powerlifting
Ryan Wilson
Vegan
Strongman competition
Mike Wolf
Vegan
Is also a former investigator for Compassion Over Killing.

Pro Wrestler

UltraMantis Black
Vegan
Killer Kowalski
Vegetarian
Dalip Singh
Vegetarian
The Great Khali, At 7 foot 1 inch tall and 347 lbs. he is widely considered to by the largest bodybuilder in the world.

Professional Armwrestling

Rob Bigwood
Vegan
Alexey Voyevoda
Vegan
Also competes in Bobsledding

Running (Track & Marathon)

Roger Bannister
Vegetarian
First man to run a mile in under 4 minutes
Leroy Burrell
Vegan
World record for the 100 meters sprint (broke by vegan Carl Lewis)
Jeffery Eggleston
Vegan
Mike Fremont
Vegan
Senior marathoner
Carl Lewis
Vegan
Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year (1991)
Edwin Moses
Vegetarian
4 Olympic gold medals
Paavo Nurmi
Vegetarian
Finnish long-distance runner, winner of 9 Olympic medals and 20 world records.
Fiona Oakes
Vegan
Marathoner
Tim VanOrden
Raw Vegan
Track & Field, Road Racing, Mountain Running, Stair Climbing
Jane Welzel
Vegan
US National marathon champion

Running (Ultramarathon)

Michael Arnstein
Raw Vegan
aka The Fruitarian
Grant Campbell
Raw Vegan
Sage Canaday
Vegan
Life-long vegetarian. Also an Olympic level marathoner.
Adam Chase
Vegetarian
Raced in more than one hundred races and in excess of twenty-five victories. Vegetarian for over 30 years.
Catra Corbett
Vegan
Yassine Diboun
Vegan
Has raced in over 50 ultramarathons.
Ellie Greenwood
Vegetarian
Vlad Ixel
Vegan
Dominant in Australian and Asian ultras since 2012
Scott Jurek
Vegan
Western States 100 (1999-2005)
Rob Krar
Vegetarian
Western States 100 (2015)
Aliza Lapierre
Vegetarian
Winner of the 2015 Bandera 100k, as well as over fifteen other ultra marathons of varying distances.
Don Repta
Vegan
4th in Montrail US Ultra Cup
Damian Stoy
Vegan
Tim Twietmeyer
Vegan
Western States 100 (1992, 1994-1996, 1998)
Jim Walmsley
Vegetarian
Known for shattering records in almost every race he enters.
Michael Wardian
Vegetarian
Hugely prolific competitor; in 2014 alone he raced fifty-four times including eighteen ultramarathons and finished in the top ten in all but ten races. Went vegetarian in 1995.
Boff Whalley
Vegetarian
Boff is also the lead guitarist for the band Chumbawamba and author of the book 'Run Wild'.

Skateboarding

Moses Itkonen
Vegan
Ed Templeton
Vegan

Snowboarding

Hannah Teter
Vegan
Olypic Medalist (Gold 2006, Silver 2010), Overall Grand Prix halfpipe champion (2004), X Games superpipe champion (2004)

Soccer

Ladule Lako LoSarah
Vegan
Neil Robinson
Vegan
Griff Whalen
Vegan

Surfing

Tia Blanco
Vegan

Swimming

Murray Rose
Vegetarian
4 Olympic gold medals
Johnny Weissmuller
Vegetarian
5 Olympic gold medals for swimming and 1 bronze medal for water polo

Tennis

Peter Burwash
Vegan
Davis Cup winner
Billie Jean King
Vegetarian
12 Grand Slam titles, 16 doubles titles
Eustace Miles
Vegetarian
10 time British Tennis Champion
Martina Navratilova
Vegetarian
18 Grand Slam titles, 31 doubles titles
Venus Williams
Raw Vegan
(since 2011)
Serena Williams
Vegan
(since 2011)

Triathlon

Hillary Biscay
Vegan
Has finished 60 Ironman tris and placed second in the 2010 Ultraman World Championships.
Brendan Brazier
Vegan
Canadian 50k Ultra (2003, 2006), Professional triathlete (1998
Ruth Heidrich
Vegan
Author 'Extreme mama' health books, Three-time Ironman competitor
Jason Lester
Vegan
Ultraman World Championships, 2009 ESPY Award for "Best Male Athlete with a Disability", Numerous ultramarathons and Ironmans, ran 3,550 miles Across the US in 72 days (4th fastest)
Rich Roll
Vegan
11th place Ultraman World Championships
Dave Scott
Vegan
Six time Ironman World Champion