The top sports personalities who swear by veganism
Going vegan has never been easier, from super easy vegan recipes to essential access to information on nutrition. Once upon a time, veganism was believed to leave you short of certain basic nutritional needs, but it was just one of many myths associated with a plant-based diet.
It was believed veganism could leave you at risk of poor health and unable to physically compete with those eating meats. That’s not the truth, something proven by the increasing number of high-profile sports personalities turning to a vegan lifestyle.
Across a range of sports, all of which place huge demands on your body, veganism is becoming more prevalent. Indeed, these top personalities put their body through great stress every time they compete, and they are all vegan.
LEWIS HAMILTON
CREDIT: Jen_ross83, Lewis Hamilton Silverstone 2018, CC BY 2.0
Lewis Hamilton breaks records; he’s won most Driver’s Championships ever (tied with Michael Schumacher) and holds the record for most race wins, pole positions, and podium finishes.
The 37-year-old still competes at the very top of the sport, despite slipping down the latest Ladbrokes odds for the 2022 title. The fact he’s even competing against Max Verstappen, a 24-year-old, is something he puts down to a vegan lifestyle. He told The Sports Rush he should have shifted to a plant-based diet earlier in his career.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
CREDIT: Carine06 (no real name given), Novak Djokovic Wimbledon 2011 semifinal win celebration - cropped and edited, CC BY-SA 2.0
Oddly, The Insider claims Novak Djokovic doesn’t like to be referred to as vegan, even though he avoids eating meat, fish and other animal-based products. He’s also gluten-free, and like Hamilton, he is still competing at the top of his profession despite his advancing years.
He’s 35, has 20 Grand Slam titles to his name and has spent a record 373 weeks as the world number one. He went into this year’s Wimbledon as an outright favourite, something again attributable to his vegan diet.\
CHRIS SMALLING
CREDIT: Дмитрий Голубович, CSKA-MU 2017 (15), CC BY-SA 3.0
Many footballers enjoy the benefits of being vegan, including Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero, but we’ve picked AS Roma and former England defender Chris Smalling.
He’s 32 but recently helped his team to the European Conference League, the sixth major trophy of his career coming 11 years after the first. Smalling, who has been capped 31 times by his country, is a committed vegan, with City AM outlining how he invested in a plant-based food company in 2021.
It wasn’t his first such move: he has previously invested in a company that makes textiles out of pineapple leaves.
VENUS WILLIAMS
CREDIT: Edwin Martinez from The Bronx, Venus Williams (9630793483), CC BY 2.0
Williams has seven Grand Slam titles to her name and is the second tennis player on the list. Along with sister Serena, the name Williams dominated women’s tennis for two decades, and whilst Venus isn’t at the top of the game anymore, she is still appearing at Wimbledon, most recently as a partner to Jamie Murray in doubles competition.
She turned vegan in 2011 after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome and credited the decision with changing her life in a major way.