TAMPA, Fla. (August 18, 2025) – The Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Team proved once again that plants power champions, bringing home a haul of medals and records (video) at this past weekend's USA FitFest Games in Tampa, Florida. Competing across multiple disciplines – including Strongman, Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting, and CrossFit – the all-vegan, all-natural collective of elite strength athletes showcased dominance, resilience, and compassion on the national stage.

The team's performance was nothing short of historic, earning dozens of podium finishes and cementing its reputation as one of the most formidable forces in strength sports.

Highlights from the 2025 USA FitFest:

    • Six Vegan Strong PlantBuilt athletes took home six medals in Strongman, including three firsts, two seconds, and one third. National 2024 Strongman Corporation National Lightweight Champion and Arnold Strongman World Championship finalist Melissa Busta (Estes, CO) won gold and shattered the Florida state deadlift record with a lift of 390 pounds after her teammate Esther Mangeno (Los Angeles) initially smashed the record first with a 345-pound deadlift. The original lightweight state deadlift record was 265 pounds. Mangeno took third in the event. Masters heavyweight athlete and 2024 NE Regional Strongman Champion Wendi Wentzel (Pittsburgh, PA) also won gold and broke a Pennsylvania state record at 395 pounds, beating the old state record of 390 pounds. Strongman Joel McCafferty (Derry, Ireland) uniquely podiumed in two weight classes, winning the men's lightweight division and placing second in the middleweight category. Jacob Poe (Lubbock, TX) was second in the men's novice class.

    • Powerlifting: The Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Powerlifting Team broke nineteen state records, plus one national, and took home 32 total medals. Nick Squires (Sacramento, CA) set a new national record with a deadlift of 295kg (650.3 pounds) in the 110 kg class, broke five state records, won six gold medals, and earned the title of best Submaster Lifter. Teammates Brittany Billings (Fort Wayne, IN), Daniel Austin (Norfolk, VA), Jerry Stanley (Tulsa, OK), Holly Noll (Oakland, CA), and Vincent Crapello (Philadelphia, PA) all won gold medals in their classes and broke their state records. Teammate Ndem Nkem (Portland, OR) won gold for bench in his class.

    • Olympic Weightlifting: Rising star and Olympic hopeful Ava Biesterfeld (St. Louis, MO) won gold and was the overall winner of the Tampa Bay Open across all classes. Holly Noll, Brian Wilbur (Oakland, CA), Lauren English (Raleigh, NC), and Annie Clark (Minneapolis, MN) all won gold medals in their classes, respectively.

    • CrossFit: First-time CrossFit athlete Canadian Sarah Pennington (Vancouver) won 3rd in her Masters 60+ age class, while the team collectively placed top 5 in 11 events throughout the day.

"These athletes are redefining what it means to be strong," said Giacomo Marchese, co-founder of PlantBuilt.

"Every medal, every record, and every personal best sends a powerful message: you don't need animal products to reach the pinnacle of performance. Competition and compassion go hand in hand." With a global roster of athletes, the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Team has grown from a grassroots effort into a worldwide movement. This weekend's victories in Tampa further highlight the team's mission: to inspire athletes and fans everywhere to rethink nutrition, sustainability, and the true meaning of strength. The team now looks ahead to its next major competitions, including the Natural World's Strongest Man (August 22-24) and Mr. America (October 10-12), where Vegan Strong PlantBuilt athletes will once again take the competition or stage to prove the future of strength sports is powered by plants.

Founded in 2013, the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Team is a global collective of elite vegan athletes competing in strength sports to dispel the myth that muscles need meat or dairy. The team's mission is to demonstrate the power of a plant-based lifestyle through competition, outreach, and advocacy, inspiring athletes and communities worldwide. Plant protein is best because it's better for health, performance and recovery, it's better for the planet, and it's better for the animals.