VEGAN STRONG PLANTBUILT TEAM TRIUMPHS AT THE MR. AMERICA COMPETITION SCORING RECORD FIRST PLACE WINS
Atlantic City (October 18, 2022) – The Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Team of more than 20 vegan athletes from around the world recently competed in the 2022 Mr. America competition in Atlantic City and earned top honors in multiple sports. Scoring a total of 18 medals – eight first place, five second place and five third place -- the vegan team battled against top athletes in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Kettlebell Sport and CrossFit.
"This is our 5th time competing together as the world's largest team of vegan strength athletes. The Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team continues to take home most of the medals and break records," said Giacomo Marchese, PlantBuilt co-founder, "Proving once again that plants have all the protein you need to be strong, healthy and competitive at the highest levels."
Results - Breaking the Australian masters bench press record, Noah Hannibal pressed a whopping 182.5Kg (402.34 lbs.) in the 125 kg Men's Masters Bench Only Raw to take first place. Americans Nick Squires and Ndem Nkem also won their respective divisions in the 100 kg and 140 kg Men's Open Raw category.
Powerlifter Katya Gorbacheva earned 2nd in the 75.0 kg Women's Open Raw while Brittany Billings also took 2nd in the 82.5 kg Women's Open Raw. Daniel Austin placed 3rd in the 82.5 kg Men's Open Raw.
Kettle Bell competitor Scott Green racked up two first place wins in the 5-minute long cycle and the 5-minute snatch. Kelly Green, Scott Green also won first in the 5-minute snatch.
Sally Anderson took first place in the women's masters division of CrossFit. Sophie Brock took 2nd in the Women's RX and Kody Kowalowski earned third in the Men's RX in CrossFit.
Bodybuilding showcased the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team strength with the athletes collecting the most medals. Nadege Corcoran succeeded in winning two first places in both the Women's Bikini Open and the Women's Bikini Masters. Ed Bauer won 2nd in the Men's Physique Master while Tiffany Burich placed 2nd in Women's Figure Masters. PlantBuilt Founder Giacomo Marchese took home two bronze medals in Men's Bodybuilding Open and Men's Bodybuilding Masters.
As impressive as their athletic performances were, the athletes' impact extended well beyond the competition floor. Healthy, strong athletes with formidable physiques wandered through the casino venue, Atilis gym, the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and anywhere there was vegan food. The athletes proudly wore shirts and sweatshirts adorned with the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt logos and "Vegan Strong Team" spanning their backs. This vegan show of force had many people reconsidering their beliefs about what vegans looked like.
George Matthews, CrossFit team captain remembers, "I was sitting outside with some of the powerlifters when a young man stopped and asked to take a picture with us. He told us that he was vegan, and people always gave him a hard time about vegans being weak. He wanted to take a picture with us to show everyone what strong vegans looked like. That was a moment I'll always remember."
Those same powerlifters went on to set impressive records while being announced as the "VeganStrong PlantBuilt team" every time they walked on stage in front of hundreds of live fans, and thousands more on the livestream. They were living proof that you can be successfully competitive at the highest levels of sports by being a compassionate vegan. Powerlifting coach, Ryan Stills, captured his 5th world powerlifting title just three days after coaching the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team to personal records and a team trophy, making a global statement for the power of a plant-based diet in sports.
PlantBuilt was created in 2015 as a collective for vegan athletes desiring to educate their communities that you can be an elite athlete having strength, health, wellness and compassion without harming animals. Teams have competed in national natural bodybuilding competitions from 2015-2017, when they took a hiatus. With the popularity of plant-based eating rising, the founders felt it was time to bring back PlantBuilt in conjunction with Vegan Strong, another team of athletes dedicated to educating fitness enthusiasts about the benefits of plant-based eating to meet fitness goals.
About the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Team
Vegan Strong is a team of vegan athletes that fuel their bodies with the most nutritious foods on the planet – plants. The Vegan Strong team focuses on strength, power and athleticism using the power of plants. Founded in 2018, the Vegan Strong team travels to fitness expos around the country to offer education and inspiration to those interested in a plant-based lifestyle.
