- [Narrator] These 25 vegan athletes are breaking records
and busting myths about eating plant-based.
In a two-part series, we will explore
the top names in vegan sport and competition.
If you have seen this video already,
you can skip ahead to part two when it's out.
If you're still with us, let's dive right in
to the 25 athletes that fuel up on plants.
Number 1: Derrick Morgan
Tennessee Titans linebacker, Derrick Morgan, is influencing
a vegan movement in the National Football League.
After 7 seasons of wear-and-tear
from playing professional football,
Morgan sought out ways to improve his recovery.
He adopted a vegan diet in 2017
and told sports media site, The Score,
"I was looking for a competitive advantage
"when it came to recovery and ways
"to lower my overall inflammation."
Derrick's wife, Charity Morgan, a vegan chef,
has been a huge influence in his diet change.
The Morgans have even inspired several Titans
to try a plant-based lifestyle,
including linebacker Brian Orakpo,
defensive tackle Jurrell Casey,
defensive end DaQuan Jones and
linebacker Wesley Woodyard.
Number 2: Serena Williams
Tennis all-star, Serena Williams,
won her 800th career match during the 2019 French Open.
The American athlete is one championship away from matching
Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 titles.
Serena follows a plant-based diet during
the competitive tennis season.
She's also an entrepreneur and has started
a vegan clothing line with the intention to empower women.
She starred in the first all-female Super Bowl ad in 2019.
Number 3: Venus Williams
Second half of the tennis star sister duo,
Venus Williams has a record of over 500 wins
in women's singles and doubles and is considered
one of the best tennis players in the world.
After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2011
that forced her to withdraw from the U.S. Open,
Williams adopted a raw vegan diet
to get her health back on track.
She told Health, "I had to make some changes,
"I had to change my life. Thankfully, I was able to find
"something that helped me get back to doing what I love."
Number 4: Kyrie Irving
Boston Celtics point guard, Kyrie Irving,
has been making headlines, from rumors of the star becoming
a free agent when his contract expires
to his support of Beyond Meat as a brand ambassador.
- Going on two years now having a plant-based food
that is mashed together with a bunch of protein
that ultimately will help my body flourish.
- [Narrator] The 27 year old is a six time NBA all-star
and told ESPN in 2017:
- Well this season, being more of a plant-based diet,
getting away from just the animals and all that,
man, I had to get away from that.
So, my energy is up. My body feels amazing, so.
- [Narrator] The athlete has noticed improved recovery time
and increased energy during back-to-back games.
Number 5: DeAndre Jordan
NBA star, DeAndre Jordan, was traded
to the New York Knicks in 2019.
According to sports writer, Daniel Lebosky,
the NBA veteran has been a mentor
in developing a defensive-minded game strategy.
The 6'11", 265-pound athlete began to wean off meat in 2016.
He defied the doubters and became vegan in 2018.
Jordan is also an investor in
plant-based meat company Beyond Meat.
Number 6: JaVale McGee
The Flint, Michigan native plays for the LA Lakers.
The starting center scored 73.4% of his shots at the net
in the latest season, second-best in the NBA.
McGee flirted with veganism to improve his health pre-season
and fully committed to a vegan lifestyle in 2017.
He told GQ, "When I do things, I just fully commit to it.
"It's been good. I was losing weight
"and getting more cut, as you can see,
"and I just felt really good."
Number 7: Tia Blanco
This pro surfer has ranked in the top 50
female surfers by the World Surf League.
She surfed to victory in 2018
and she was crowned the winner
of the Rip Curl Pro Tofino Championship.
The Puerto Rican native has
made waves with her veganism too.
She was raised as a vegetarian
and adopted a vegan diet at the age of 15
after watching T. Colin Campbell's "The China Study"
and watching "Glass Walls," a documentary
that reveals the horrors of slaughterhouses.
Blanco spoke to Teen Vogue about her
compassionate lifestyle, "From an environmental standpoint,
"animal agriculture is the leading cause
"of species extinction, ocean dead zones,
"water pollution and habitat destruction.
"The most impactful thing you can do for the environment
"is to eat less meat and more veggies."
Number 8: Lionel Messi
The FC Barcelona forward is considered
one of the greatest football players.
In 2012, he made football history
with a total of 91 goals in one season.
Messi decided to change his diet
after his native Argentina failed to win the 2014 World Cup.
Following the loss, he consulted an Italian nutritionist
who steered him in the direction of a vegan diet.
The South American says he feels better
when he reduces his meat intake
and focuses instead on whole grains,
fresh fruits and lots of vegetables.
Number 9: Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan is the face of women's soccer.
The American athlete has won Olympic,
Women's Professional Soccer and
National Women's Soccer League titles.
She was named U.S. soccer female player of the year in 2018
and made TIME 100 most influential people of 2019's list.
Her philanthropic work is focused on kids and animals.
She's an ambassador for UNICEF and does work with the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
She went vegan in 2018, telling Reuters,
"It didn't feel fair to have a dog that I adore
"and yet eat meat all the time."
Number 10: Chris Smalling
The English football player plays as a center-back
and is one of the most decorated players
for Premiere League Manchester United.
Off the pitch, Smalling is a decorated animal advocate.
He has been vegan since 2018, joining his already-vegan wife
and former model, Sam Cooke, in order to
make meal prep simpler during her pregnancy.
The couple welcomed their first baby, Leo Asher, on May 14.
Smalling has also spoken up for animals
by appearing in a campaign for animal right's group, PETA.
- [Smalling] We all love animals and I think
once your eyes are open to what is going on
behind closed doors, people can't ignore it.
- [Narrator] Number 11: Heather Mitts
Heather Mitts is a three-time Olympic gold-medalist,
playing for the U.S. team and bringing home gold
in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 summer games.
The defender is a former Women's Soccer League player
as well, having played for Tampa Bay,
Philadelphia and Central Florida.
Mitts is an animal-lover and encourages
her social media fans to adopt a vegan diet.
Her account, called empoweredpregnancy, documents her life
as a mother to three vegan children.
Number 12: Meagan Duhamel
This Canadian figure skater won two medals
along with partner Eric Radford
at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang,
taking home a bronze and a gold.
The pair has also won several world titles
at Grand Prix events and the Four Continents Championship.
Duhamel adopted a vegan diet in 2008,
after a book called "Skinny Bitch"
caught her attention at an airport.
She told CBC, "I just thought, wow,
"that seems so interesting. I woke up the next morning,
"cleaned out my fridge and said, I'm going to learn
"about whole grains and fruits and vegetables."
The skater also has a vegan blog called "Lots of Greens,"
where she posts favorite recipes,
documents her personal journey and writes
about the holistic approach to her skating career.
Number 13: Seba Johnson
This American skier has been vegan since birth.
Competing in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary,
14 year old Johnson made history
as the youngest skier to compete
and she was the first black female in the Olympic sport.
According to her website, Johnson's mission
is to minimize the suffering of others.
"In every part of my life, I have unwaveringly
"stood up for lives outside my own.
"Veganism produces a change in one's body,
"but the impact on this planet and all
"of her inhabitants will be everlasting.
"When you become vegan, I think you'll agree."
The athlete is also a writer, artist and actor.
She appeared in a commercial by Switch4Good
that aimed to disrupt the dairy industry
by dispelling myths about milk products.
- You don't need milk after infancy, no one does.
- [Narrator] Stay tuned for part two of 25 vegan athletes.
We'd love to know, are you a vegan athlete?
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