It’s not the first time Varshney has hit the headlines for her climbing expeditions. Last year, she summited Nepal’s Ama Dablam, which stands at just over 6,800 meters. 

Widely regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful mountains, Ama Dablam is a tough climb. Not only did Varshney complete the trek, she also did it all while experiencing menstrual cramps. 

“For me, it made me cross my limits,” she told the Indian Express after the climb. “Like, I feel I would not have known how strong I am if this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I feel, a woman can be as strong as she wants and as fragile too,” she added. “And we have to embrace both.”

Vegan climbers 

Varshney is also a passionate animal lover and a strong advocate for veganism.

While she is said to be the first vegan Indian woman to summit Everest, Varshney is not the first vegan climber to reach the top.

Kuntal Joisher reached Everest’s summit in 2016, and in the same year, experienced Australian vegan climber Dr. Maria Strydom also reached the top. Tragically, she died of altitude sickness during the descent.

Joisher summited Everest again in 2018, and is now on a mission “to normalize vegan mountaineering.”

Describing the experience in 2016 for Red Bull last year, he wrote: “It was so overwhelming, I couldn’t hold back the tears. With a minute’s credit left on my satellite phone, I called home, then I sat down to soak in the view from the top. I’ll never forget those 20 minutes. The only feeling that compares is the birth of my daughter.”

He added: “It was a huge achievement for me as a mountaineer, but it also shone a positive light on veganism.”

The post Prakriti Varshney Hailed As First Vegan Indian Woman To Summit Everest appeared first on Plant Based News.

Both Balenger and the Tesla began at the same starting point approximately 250 miles outside of Austin, Texas. The vehicle was driven until its fully charged battery gave out at an average speed of 65 mph, and set a race distance of 242 miles. 

Balenger then followed the exact same route as the Tesla, fighting against extreme heat, elevation changes, and minimal sleep, and was able to beat the vehicle by 100 feet in just under 77 hours.

“Initially, the goal was to beat the Tesa’s distance in 72 hours – in the ultra community, a respectable time for finishing a 100-mile race is 24 hours, so I was giving myself 3x that – however, three straight days of unrelenting 90+ degree weather killed that plan,” shared Balenger. 

Running exclusively on plants

As a plant-based athlete, Balenger is passionate about pushing his body and mind to the very limits in order to promote the benefits of eating plant-based. He also credits his vegan diet for letting him go the distance for the various mammoth challenges that he sets for himself.  

“I have two key considerations when it comes to my diet: environmentalism and performance – and Tesla excels at both. Outlasting a Tesla has been the longest single effort I have undertaken to date,” adds Balenger. 

The post Vegan Ultra-Runner Outlasts Fully Charged Tesla appeared first on Plant Based News.

And, on the way to their League One qualifying match (where they drew with Bristol Rovers), the team traveled in an electric van.

League One is part of the English Football League (EFL). The oldest competition of its kind in the world, it has three leagues: Championship, League One, and League Two. (The Premier League is above the EFL.)

Forest Green Rovers has been around for more than 130 years. But for most of that time, it’s been seen as a local village team. However, in the last five years, things have changed, and the environment-focused football club has been playing in League Two.

Environmentally friendly football team

Environmentalist and entrepreneur Dale Vince owns Forest Green Rovers. Back in the 1990s, he founded the green energy firm Ecotricity with one single windmill in Gloucestershire. Now, the company supplies around 200,000 homes across the country.

Earlier this month, Vince announced he would be stepping away from Ecotricity to focus on a political career. Regarding the UK’s shift to Net Zero, he told the BBC: “What we lack are politicians that get it and the policies that will help make it happen faster.”

Under Vince’s leadership, in 2018, Forest Green Rovers received the United Nations’ Momentum for Change award for climate action.

Vince said at the time: “Plenty of people doubted we could make this improbable combination of a football club and the environment work. But it’s proven to be a powerful combination.”

The post Vegan Soccer Club ‘Forest Green Rovers’ Promoted To League One appeared first on Plant Based News.

Today, Balenger will go head-to-head with a Tesla Model 3 in an attempt to outrun the vehicle’s expected range of 267 miles with a time cap of 72 hours. 

Both Balenger and the Tesla will start at the same point, at around 250 miles outside of Austin, TX. 

The Tesla will take off with 100 percent charge and will be driven until it runs out of charge. Then Balenger will have 72 hours to beat that distance, following the very same route.

Up against extreme conditions

The plant-based athlete is not only going to have a Model 3 to compete with, but also the arid heat conditions, rolling hills, and fluctuating weather that Central Texas has to offer – and possibly a number of rattlesnakes too.

Typically, 100-mile races are completed within the space of 24 hours. Balenger’s challenge multiplies this by almost threefold, and after factoring in breaks, sleep, and the ticking clock, the race inevitably becomes more difficult.

In a recent press release, Balenger shared, “As a plant-based athlete, I have two key considerations when it comes to my diet: environmentalism and performance – and Tesla excels at both. Outlasting a Tesla will be the longest single effort I have undertaken. This excites me and terrifies me all at the same time, meaning I must be onto something good.” 

Fueled by plants

Balenger is no stranger to pushing his body to the limits by taking on grueling endurance challenges. In 2019, he ran 3,175 miles across the states in just 75 days to promote the benefits of a plant-based diet. 

“My goal is to inspire people all across this country to start paying more attention to what they put inside of their bodies, and to be an example of someone who has made a radical change and feels better for it,” the athlete said.

‘My hope is that this feat inspires others’

Balenger has even broken the record for the most laps run around New York’s Central Park in one day. There, he ran 16 full loops in 18 hours and 7 minutes, breaking the previous record of 11 loops.  

“My hope is that this feat inspires others to leave their comfort zones and embrace innovation, be it by challenging their perceptions of their own physical limits, or making lifestyle changes that can have a positive effect on the planet,” Balenger explained.

The post Vegan Ultra-Endurance Athlete Embarks On Challenge To Outrun A Tesla appeared first on Plant Based News.

Salley owns a vegan restaurant and has been a passionate and longtime advocate of a plant-based diet.

The former athlete, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, and Chicago Bulls, previously urged the U.S government to ‘remove racial bias from its dietary guidelines’.

He is now advocating for all NBA athletes to go plant-based. He also spoke on the show about different methods of activism and how people can better advocate for veganism.

Basically, he’s our hero!

Watch the full interview below:

The post Basketball Legend John Salley On Why All NBA Athletes Should Go Plant-Based appeared first on Plant Based News.

The athlete made history last month at the British Women’s Classic Championships in Lochgelly, Scotland, where she competed in the U76kg open class.

There, Ellis broke six national records and pulled off the heaviest deadlift by a female in British powerlifting history. Ellis deadlifted 237.5kg (524lbs), marking a new British record in both Classic and Equipped categories, across all weight classes. It’s also an unofficial European record.

Additionally, Ellis lifted 170kg during the squat round, and 118kg for bench (which was its own record too). This brought her total weight lifted to a whopping 525.5kg (1,158.5lbs) – again, a British record total for both Classic and Equipped categories.

Being ‘strong and vegan’

Ellis, who began competing in powerlifting in 2018, now holds around 20 national and international records. She credits her success to a number of factors, including her plant-based diet.

Speaking to Plant Based News, Ellis said: “It has been a combination of things that I feel has helped my athletic career; diet is obviously a huge part of recovery and being vegan has definitely helped me to optimize this alongside keeping training consistent, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and managing stress levels etc.”

“As long as I am eating enough and a good balance of foods then my recovery rate is a lot quicker and I feel so much more fueled and energized for training sessions,” she added. “It is important for people to realize that it is the foods you eat which make a big difference – you can go vegan but if you are restricting / not eating enough nutrient-dense foods then you won’t reap all the benefits that veganism has to offer!”

“I have been vegan for 10 years now and a powerlifter for four years. It is so great to be able to continue to break down misconceptions around this lifestyle and show people that you can be strong AND vegan!”

It’s a message Ellis also drove home in October last year, when she took home a bronze medal in deadlifting at the IPF World Classic Championships, despite it being her first appearance at the competition.

Ellis is set to compete in the World Championships in June, 2022.

The post Vegan Athlete Makes History, Breaks 6 Records At British Powerlifting Championships appeared first on Plant Based News.

Medics and officials couldn’t save Shallwehaveonemore, as his injuries were too severe, and tragically, he had to be put down.

Animal Aid commented that all horse racing should be banned in response to the fall.

Horror show

Dene Stansall, horse racing consultant for Animal Aid said:

“Seeing Shallwehaveonemore fall today was a tragedy that is repeated year-on-year at this notorious so-called festival.

“Far from being a festival, it exudes the worst in animal cruelty with a blatant disregard for the suffering it causes – horse deaths, agonizing injuries, and the brutality of whipping animals in public. An end to horse racing would stop this horror show – the Cheltenham festival should be the first on that agenda.”

70 horses have lost their lives racing at Cheltenham since 2000.

Chelenham response

A Cheltenham spokesman said: “Sadly Shallwehaveonemore sustained an injury in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. 

“He was immediately attended to by our highly experienced veterinary team, but after extensive treatment, it was determined that it was necessary to put the horse to sleep. Our thoughts are with his connections.”

Unacceptable

Chris Luffingham from the League Against Cruel Sports, commented on the tragic death:

“It is extremely upsetting to learn of the death of Shallwehaveonemore following the opening race of the Cheltenham festival.

“New tighter safety measures need to be introduced to stop this senseless loss of life in the name of ‘sport’. We need an independent regulatory body with horse welfare as its only concern and an end to the use of the whip which forces the horse to go beyond what it is comfortably able to do resulting in death, injuries and stress.”

Cruel and brutal sport

Horse racing is generally regarded as a harmless sport, with many believing that the horses are willing participants who enjoy racing.

But behind the scenes, they suffer immensely. A study published in 2020 found that horses experience just as much pain from whipping as humans. The research states:

“Although horse skin is thicker overall than human skin, the part of the skin that is thicker does not insulate them from the pain that is generated during a whip strike”, and that “humans and horses have the equivalent basic anatomic structures to detect pain in the skin.”

2402 deaths in 5484 Days

Shallwehaveonemore is the latest in a long line of victims. Animal Aid’s Race Horse Death Watch was launched during the 2007 Cheltenham Festival to expose and record every on-course thoroughbred fatality in Britain.

So far it has recorded 2402 deaths.

But deaths on the racecourse are just one of the tragic sides of commercial racing. The industry kills or dumps thousands of horses every year when they fail to make the grade or when their racing days are over.

Last year we reported that 4,000 former racehorses had been slaughtered since the start of 2019 in the UK and Ireland.

Tragically, many more horses will suffer and die as long as this cruel sport is allowed to continue.

The post Another Horse Has Died At Cheltenham, Resulting In Renewed Calls For A Ban appeared first on Plant Based News.

Okolie, 29, fought Polish boxer Michal Cieslak, flooring him in the fifth round of a battle that BBC Sport called ‘comfortable yet scrappy’.

Okolie told 5 Live Boxing: “It was a flat performance and I allowed it to get messy. This was one of those days where it was tough, awkward, and the guy was physically strong, but I need to work on the mentality that it doesn’t need to be perfect.

“I will go back to the gym, go again and make it right the next time,” Okolie added.

Undefeated world champion

It may not have been his greatest performance to date, but Okolie remains an undefeated world champion, now with 18 consecutive wins as a professional boxer. 

On the undercard, another British vegan boxer, Olympian Cheavon Clarke, made his professional debut with an explosive victory against Croatian Toni Visi.

Okolie – who was born in Hackney, London to Nigerian parents – has followed a plant-based diet since he became a professional boxer in 2017.

Powered by plants

On his diet, Okolie told Sky that he is “mainly vegan”, not eating “meat, fish, eggs, or cow’s milk”, and has found that a plant-based diet helps with weight maintenance and improves his energy levels.

“I eat all the wonderful fruit and vegetables out there, rice, grains – basically stuff that gives me energy to train but then it’s not as hard to process in my body,” said Okolie.

Since his 2018 debut, Okolie – nicknamed ‘The Sauce’ – has risen through the boxing ranks to become a world-recognized force, ranked as the world’s third best active cruiserweight by The Ring as of February 2022. 

What’s next for Okolie?

After his Sunday win, Okolie has the opportunity to unify the division, which is to win two or more of the major sanctioning titles in a division: World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), The Ring, and WBO.

Okolie’s next opponent is undetermined, but possible challengers include Congolese WBC champion Ilunga Makabu, French WBA ‘Super’ champion Arsen Goulamirian, or British boxers Chris Billam-Smith or Richard Riakporhe.

However, fans – and Okolie’s promoter, Eddie Hearn – hope that a battle against 37-year-old Latvian IBF champion Mairis Breidis is on the cards.

“That’s the fight we want to see,” Hearn told the BBC.

Self-help book

Alongside his boxing, Okolie is releasing an autobiographical self-help book next month entitled Dare to Change Your Life (Penguin). 

Okolie writes: “I’m proud of the changes I’ve made to my life. While flipping burgers in McDonald’s, I found my ambition and now I’m a boxing champion. I’ve changed how I look at myself, how I look at the world, and I’ve improved my lifestyle.”

The post Plant-Based Boxer Lawrence Okolie Retains WBO Cruiserweight Title appeared first on Plant Based News.

The athlete, who is currently in Australia competing in the Women’s Ashes, spoke to the BBC about her vegan lifestyle. 

Twenty-three-year-old Villiers first ditched animal products in 2019. Animal welfare concerns prompted the change, which happened “overnight.”

“I never used to think about the food I was eating. I would never think about the life that it had. It was quite selfish really,” the offspinner said.

“My mum thought I was insane. I remember the next day we went to a carvery and mum was like, ‘Can’t you just start it tomorrow because there’s no options here?’ 

“I was like ‘no, it’s not a diet! I’m not going to start it on Monday mum, it’s different.’”

Mady Villiers

After making the switch, Villiers – who the BBC named one of the “brightest young prospects in the game” – noticed physical improvements.

“Becoming vegan hasn’t impacted my game at all in any way, shape or form,” she explained. “If anything, I feel better. I recover a lot quicker; I didn’t expect these benefits to happen. 

“I’m not saying I recover quicker because I don’t eat meat, but because my vegetable intake is higher, I’m not as stiff anymore. On the whole, I feel a lot more refreshed when I wake up.”

So far, in Villiers’ 17 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), she has taken 14 wickets at an average of 17.

The bowler told the BBC that her team “love” her plant-based lifestyle. And, they go for the vegan option themselves “every now and again.”

“A lot of the girls eat a lot less meat than they used to,” she said. “I don’t know why that is but everybody just seems now to be more aware of their meat intake.”

Vegan cricketers

Villiers is joined by a growing number of cricketers who have transitioned to veganism.

Australian bowler Kara Sutherland, for instance, went plant-based in 2016. Meanwhile, fellow Aussie bowler Peter Siddle cut meat from his diet ten years ago, and has since gone vegan. Siddle has competed in 67 Tests and has taken 221 wickets with a bowling average of 31. 

Australian cricket legend Greg Chappell is also vegan, citing health and animal welfare concerns as leading motivators.   

Prior to his retirement, Chappell had played in 87 Test matches, and was captain for 48 of them, his website says. When he retired in 1984, Chappell held the Australian record for the most runs scored in a single Test match (380).

Bowler Adam Zampa, who has played 61 One Day Internationals and 41 T20Is for Australia, went vegan for sustainability and animal welfare reasons. 

In 2018, he elaborated: “I met some animals, some cows, and just thought, this isn’t food. They’re sentient beings who deserve a life as well.”

Cricketers and animal welfare

Zampa isn’t the only one with this view. Australian bowler Kane Richardson began looking at food differently after he and his partner drove past some lambs on a farm, and were reminded of their dog.

“From that day on, we stopped eating lamb, and once you make a justification of one thing, it’s like we probably shouldn’t eat beef either, and then it’s pork, fish, chicken,” he said to ESPNcricinfo. Richardson said it was a “natural progression” to veganism from there.

“If everyone went vegetarian then I’m sure the world would change,” he commented, adding that eating plant-based helped him lose weight and avoid injury.

Australian coach Jason Gillespie, who was once a leading fast bowler, ditched meat in 2014. He’s now vegan, and promotes Veganuary via his official Twitter account. He’s also called for a ban on leather cricket balls.

“We treat animals like sh*t, we really do,” Gillespie said to the Yorkshire Evening Post in 2016. “These slaughterhouses, dairies and piggeries, zoos – it’s cruel and it’s speciesism at its very worst and I don’t want to be part of it.

“Hopefully one day the dairy industry can be shut down. I think it’s disgusting and wrong on so many levels. Slaughterhouses too.

“There are a lot of things we say in this world that are bullshit. ‘Humane slaughter’ – nobody’s been able to explain that to me. How is killing ‘humane’?”

The post English Vegan Cricketer Mady Villiers Reveals She Felt ‘Selfish’ Eating Animals appeared first on Plant Based News.

He also becomes the first European ambassador for the brand.

Romelu Lukaku

The footballer shared a promotional video on his Instagram today.

“Diet is a big part of my daily life. And over time I’ve really understood how eating more plant-based food, like Beyond Meat, can seamlessly fit within my routine,” he said in a statement.

The video features Lukaku enjoying the British classic, bangers and mash, in a Chelsea pub. Only, the traditional dish is made with Beyond Meat’s Beyond Sausage instead.

Alongside the video, he adds: “I discovered that food can completely change my training performance and mindset… since changing my eating habits, I’ve noticed such a difference.”

Beyond Meat endorsement

Now, Lukaku is among a string of athletes championing the brand, such as Lewis Hamilton, Nick Kyrgios, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, and Lindsey Vonn.

According to Beyond Meat’s chief brand officer, Beth Moskowitz, he was chosen because he embodies its mission.

And, because he “exemplifies how athletes at the highest caliber are choosing to include plant-based protein in their diets for its nutritional benefits.”

Moskowitz adds: “At Beyond Meat, we are proud to partner with top athletes to inspire consumers to make small changes that can add up to create a positive impact for the planet.”

Is Romelu Lukaku vegan?

While Lukaku has publicly advocated a vegan brand, he doesn’t label himself as one.

However, he is “doing what he can” to incorporate more plant-based foods into his diet. 

This is according to Joe, who he also told: “I think a lot of players are incorporating more plant-based meals as they help us achieve a more balanced lifestyle.”

“I think this is an opportunity to help people see an alternative to meat and maybe change their diet. You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to go beyond meat,” he added.

The post Romelu Lukaku Backs Beyond Meat: ‘I’ve Noticed Such A Difference’ appeared first on Plant Based News.