David Carter of the Arizona Cardinals NFL football team (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Thought vegans were all weedy and pale from lack of animal protein?

Myriad athletes are defying that myth, including ultra marathon runners, Ironman champions, MMA fighters – even the Williams sisters.

Piling their plates high with quinoa, hemp, beans and tofu, they’ve got all the fuel they need to build muscle and power.

The 300lb vegan, David Carter

David Carter has created a brand around his ethical lifestyle.


The loveable NFL defensive lineman, 28, is a 100% vegan animal rights activist and public speaker.

He says: ‘You don’t have to take a life to gain muscle.’

He loves dogs.

And horses.

…and children.

And his wife.

And we love him even more for it.

The rockstar and Ironman champion, John Joseph

John Joseph, 53, is set to compete in his sixth Ironman Triathlon and still finds time to smash it on stage with his hardcore punk band the Cro-Mags.



He has written a book called Meat Is For Pussies.

Two weeks ago he completed his fifth Ironman triathlon, fuelled by plants.

He’s strong.

The tennis sisters, Venus and Serena Williams

The tennis ace sisters announced they were going fully vegan almost four years ago.

They smashed it in the doubles during the 2012 Olympics a few months later.

They are heroes to so many people.

And Serena has just mighty strength and immense abs.

In a shoot for New York Times magazine last week.

Respect.

The ultramarathon runner, Scott Jurek

Scott Jurek from Colorado loves running for hundreds of miles at a stretch, and is a star of the brilliant book Born To Run.

He loves vegan food.

He likes (to hang out with) turkeys on Thanksgiving.

He’s currently working to gain back the 20lbs he lost while running all 2,189 miles of the Appalachian Trail in a record time – beating the previous record, set by Jennifer Pharr Davis in 2011, by 3hrs 13mins.

MORE: 15 vegan bodybuilders proving that you can be meat-free and strong

He averaged nearly 50miles a day for 46 days.

Boss.

The UFC fighter brothers, Nick and Nate Diaz

Nick and Nathan (Nate) Diaz both eat a mostly vegan diet.

Nick, 32, (pictured above, right) has said: ‘I try to eat raw vegan, I’ve been doing that since I was 15, 16 years old, so I’m used to it… It definitely helps me not feel like shit, you know, and I got to train all week long.’

He encouraged his younger brother Nate, 30, (left) to follow his lead too.

The Olympic rower and tumour survivor, David Smith

David Smith MBE is a plant-powered athlete who won gold at the 2009 World Rowing Championships.

Great morning out on the bike, one more day left then back to UK for first time trial. #cycling #spain #alicante pic.twitter.com/BMHEfvJ5Xq — David Smith MBE (@DSmithGB) April 20, 2015

The 37-year-old Scotsman then survived an operation to remove a large tumour from his spine in 2010.

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He pulled through and went on to win gold in rowing during the 2012 Olympics, and has now turned his attention to cycling and snow sports.

He has inspired so many people.

The freerunning ninja, Timothy Shieff

Timothy Shieff is one of the highest profile and most successful freerunners in the world.

The former World Champion has also set an American Ninja course record.

Just wow.

The pro surfer girl, Tia Blanco

Tia Blanco (Tiarah Lue Blanco), an American pro surfer, is a dedicated vegan and yogi.

She won gold during the women’s final of the 2015 ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) at Playa Popoyo, in Nicaragua.

The MMA champion, Jake Shields

Lifelong veggie and Strikeforce MMA Champion Jake Shields, 36, from California, abstains from animal products most of the time, but does tuck in to the odd bit of cheese.

He has said: ‘I am not strict on the vegan, but I try to eat a mostly vegan diet…



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‘I never even really thought about eating meat.

‘It’s something that always seemed a little gross to me, especially with the way animals are treated.’

The athlete-turned-lecturer, Brendan Brazier

Brendan Brazier, 40, is a former professional Ironman triathlete, a bestselling author and magazine editor.

He is a top authority on plant-based nutrition and a guest lecturer at Cornell University, presenting a module called The Plant-Based Diet and Elite Athleticism.

So. Inspired.

This piece has been amended since we found out that Goeff Rowley is no longer vegan.

MORE: Vegan rockstar and Ironman athlete John Joseph on why ‘meat is for pussies’

MORE: 15 vegan bodybuilders proving that you can be meat-free and strong

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