Written by PETA
Ronda Rousey just became the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic medal in judo—and her first order of business as an Olympic medalist is to go vegan!
"As of right now I am a vegan," she told reporters.
Rousey, whose favorite foods include imitation crab meat, comes from a family with an athletic history—her mother, AnnMaria, is a former U.S. world champion judoka. AnnMaria is very supportive of her daughter, explaining to reporters that there is no reason why a vegan lifestyle can't mix with an intense physical sport like judo: "I mean, we're tough but we don't kill our opponents and eat them."
Rousey is joining many other athletes—like John Salley and Mac Danzig, just to name a few—who have realized that the health benefits of going vegetarian or vegan are ideal for athletes as well as for average Gym Joes and Janes. Benefits like lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and a heightened immune system are certainly of use to athletes, right?
We think so—and so do Tony Gonzales, Carl Lewis, Scott Jurek, Chris Evert, and Ricky Williams. … You get the idea.
Congratulations, Ronda! If you're inspired by Rousey (and who isn't?) to try out a veggie diet for yourself, leap over to GoVeg.com, where you can order a free copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit."
Written by Amanda Schinke
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