Vegan athlete Kate Strong is throwing her support behind The Vegan Society’s Vegan and Thriving campaign.
World-champion triathlete Kate is gearing up to take on three separate world record attempts for the farthest distance travelled on a static bike, all within one 24-hour period. The challenge starts at 3pm on Wednesday 26 May and will take place in Bristol.
The female world records that Kate needs to smash are 35.3km in one hour and 348km in 12 hours, with both record titles currently being held by Slovenian athlete Tina Ternjak. As it stands, no record exists for a female cycling on a static bicycle for 24-hours – yet a male equivalent does.
Within two years of taking up running more seriously, Kate was crowned world champion in long-distance triathlon and she credits her success in part to her plant-based diet. The TEDx speaker and business founder went vegan in 2012 after noticing that cutting out animal products improved her lung capacity. As an asthmatic, Kate had often struggled with shortness of breath but after removing dairy from her diet she found that within weeks she was no longer wheezy and was able to run much faster.
That’s why she’s felt compelled to show her support for The Vegan Society’s Vegan and Thriving campaign which aims to show people can be healthy and happy on a vegan diet.
Ahead of her challenge, Kate Strong said: “I’ve experienced first hand how impactful vegan diets can be. Even away from seeing improvements in my athletic abilities, going vegan has also cleared up my eczema and improved my sleeping pattern. There’s no doubt that anyone, from those doing couch-to-5k to professional athletes like myself can not only survive on a vegan diet, but truly thrive.”
“I’m constantly striving to redefine what society tells us is possible, and through these world record attempts I want to demonstrate what you can do if you put your mind to it.”
Elena Orde, spokesperson for The Vegan Society, said: “We’re delighted that Kate is showing her support for our Vegan and Thriving campaign, and we’ll certainly be cheering her on from the side-lines when she takes on her next challenge. As someone who only started training for athletic success in her early 30s, she truly is an inspiration to women – and vegans - everywhere.”
“More and more athletes, from boxers to tennis players, are noticing a huge positive difference in their athletic achievements once they make the switch to a vegan diet. We hope it encourages others to give it a go too. There are plenty of fantastic resources to explore at www.vegansociety.com/thriving including recipe videos, tips from dietitians and much more.”
In addition to her triple world-record challenge this month, Kate is also planning to undertake the Limitless Challenge between June 2022 and May 2023. The never before attempted feat will see her cycle 3,000 miles across the US, swim the English Channel and climb Everest, all within 12 months.
For more information about Vegan and Thriving please visit Vegan and Thriving | The Vegan Society.
