Local Fire Performer Is ‘Sexiest Vegan Next Door’

West Valley City Man Takes Home PETA Win

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2015

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

West Valley City’s fire performer and online cooking video star officially has one more accolade to add to the list: Victor Ivan Barragan is PETA’s Sexiest Vegan Next Door, beating out contestants from across the country. Barragan will enjoy a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii, courtesy of Humane Travel.

“Victor’s boundless energy for helping others see how vegan meals can transform personal health makes him number one on our list,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages anyone who’s impressed by our sexy vegans’ vitality and passion for helping animals to try going vegan themselves.”

A breakdancing and acro yoga aficionado with a flair for calisthenics, Barragan is always ready to show off a vegan T-shirt at the gym, where he often chats with curious passersby about the benefits of going vegan. As he says, “Since going vegan, my health has improved tremendously. Not only did I lose body fat and gain muscle, but my abilities have improved as well—I can do things I never imagined possible, including handstand push-ups!”

Barragan is also debuting his own series of vegan cooking videos—which he produces in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language—and is hard at work on a vegan cookbook, which he says will help others find fun and easy ways to eat animal-friendly meals. In his free time, Barragan can be found playing with his two rescued dogs, Buddy and Egon.

Competitive bikini fitness model and sports medicine physician Dr. Harriet Davis of Charlotte, North Carolina, snagged the female title. PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—selected the winners based on several factors, including vote count. See the full contest details here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.