Vegan weightlifter Hulda B. Waage set a new record at a women’s weightlifting competition last weekend in Iceland. Waage credited her vegan diet for the strength she needed to complete the 205-kilogram (452 pound), record-setting squat lift. “You can be strong without eating meat and animal byproducts,” Waage said. “I’ve reached the age when the body produces more swelling. I believe my diet helps with this, and I recover more quickly after practices.” Waage also holds the national Bench Press record at 120-kilograms (265 pounds) and aims to win the World Weightlifting Championships in 2023. Other vegan athletes who have broken records—along with unfounded vegan stereotypes—include ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, who broke the Appalachian Trail record in 2015, and world record-breaking powerlifter Patrik Baboumian.

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