5 Elite Level Vegan Athletes

Vegan athletes are having a huge impact in the world of professional sports. You won't find a steak on their plate but you will find medals on their walls.

1) Scott Jurek

New York Times / Via nytimes.com

Vegan since 1999, Scott is a legend in the endurance sport of ultramarathon running. He is 7-times winner of the prestigious Western States 100 mile endurance race and has twice won the Badwater ultramarathon through the desert of Death valley. Renowned for being generous with his time Scott often by the finish line to cheer through all the people who complete the 100 mile races he competes in. Despite just turning 40 Scott still plans to race for a couple more years so expect more race wins and delicious vegan recipes from him.

2) Tim Van Orden

Via veganbodybuilding.com

Having in his own words retired from track aged 20, Tim came to vegan raw food in his 30's and decided to start in trail races at the age of 37. Tim uses YouTube to passionately talk about his training and diet and is a great source of inspiration for many aspiring athletes. His sporting achievements despite starting at what is considered a ripe age are staggering. He has won 10 U.S. trail running championships and being named a U.S. Runner of the Year four times by USA Track and Field

3) Venus Williams

Via tennisworldusa.org

Vegan athletes often talk about how they experience quicker recovery time and increased energy levels when they switched to a plant based diet. In 2011, tennis great, Venus Williams was diagnosed with autoimmune condition known as Sjögrens Syndrome. She has since adopted a vegan diet which has helped her battle the inflammation and fatigue she was suffering.

4) Brendan Brazier

Via choosingraw.com

As an athlete Brendan obsessed about the way he could get the most from his body. The more he looked into the training programmes of elite athletes the more he discovered very little difference in their training programmes. It was their recovery period which enabled them to train more and achieve the best results. Brendan experimented with many diets before discovering a simple vegan diet enabled him to recover quicker and train more. He went on to become a professional IronMan triathlete and the author his nutrition book 'The Thrive Diet'. Going vegan enabled him to achieve his dream of becoming a professional athlete.

5) Michael Arnstein

Via loving-it-raw.com

'The Fruitarian', is an ultra marathon athlete competing in some of the worlds toughest races fuelled by fruit. He talks passionately about the energy and endurance levels he experiences as a result of his vegan diet.