President Clinton - famous for his appetite for junk food - says he's made the switch to a healthy, plant-based diet.[1]

His reasoning?  His surgically cleared coronary arteries began to re-clog, he said on the CNN program.  It was then that he learned that heart patients who adopt a plant-based diet usually start getting better on their own. "Their bodies begin to heal themselves," he said. "Well, since I needed to lose a little weight for Chelsea's wedding, I thought I'd be a part of the experiment and see if I could be one of those."[1]

The president did like unhealthy foods, and we were able to put soy burgers in the White House, for example, and get foods that were delicious and nutritious,” said Dr. Dean Ornish, director and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California.[2]

Other new menu items for Clinton included such healthy fare as stir fry vegetables with tofu, and salmon with vegetables.  People who embrace an active lifestyle (those part of generation active) are often concerned that a vegan or vegetarian diet would not properly fuel their bodies.[2]

The key is to make sure that your body intakes all the necessary, important nutrients your body needs.  For example, calcium is one mineral that is hard to come by with a vegan diet.  But foods such as spinach, collard and turnip greens, and sesame seeds can help supplement a low calcium diet.[2]

The founder of Def Jam Records was raised eating meat, but turned full-on vegan more than 10 years ago with a new-found awareness about the environmental impact of eating meat.^[3]

"Every day, more and more people are turning vegan, more children are looking at a rib and making the connection that it came from a suffering animal and more people are loving themselves and the Earth they live on just a little bit more by saying no to meat and dairy."[3]

The entrepreneur, reportedly worth $340 million, is using his fame and fortune to protect animals.  He recently launched a "cruelty-free" clothing line called Argyleculture that will not use any animal products....in its collection.[3]

“Meat seems associated with strength and power, two features generally attributed to males,” write the authors of a 2012 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research that examined why male consumers avoid vegetarian options.[4]

Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the 49ers, recently Instagrammed his meal of steak, eggs, and fruit, with the caption: “This is lunch.…I don’t eat vegetables they make you weak!”  It doesn’t matter if he actually believes that or if he was trying to be funny: His post perpetuates the ignorant association of vegetables and negativity.[4]  

In another study, published in the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinity, researchers linked eating meat with “manhood, power, and virility” and found that men were more likely than women to “endorse pro-meat attitudes” and believed it was “human destiny to eat meat.”[4]

I imagine that most of those people agree with Kaepernick that athletics on a plant-based diet is a bad idea.  And they are so wrong.  He is also flat out wrong: he’s suggesting that you can’t be a successful athlete if you eat plants. But nobody featured on this website of vegan athletes are weak[4]

Barny du Plessis is the world's first vegan bodybuilder and Mr. Universe 2014, amongst other national and international titles.  Du Plessis went vegan after retiring from bodybuilding in 2013 due to an ever-growing list of health concerns which included hernias and acid reflux.  After adopting a vegan lifestyle, the bodybuilder saw his fitness radically improve and he returned to the stage.[5] 

From having more energy to improving his recovery time between workouts, Barny has experienced many of benefits that come from plant-based eating.  He said:  "Since becoming a vegan, my training has been amazing.  I wake up feeling good, I’ve got more energy, my recovery’s really good and I’ve got no aches and pains.  Best of all, I’m not contributing to the suffering of animals."[6] 

Barny once believed that consuming vast amounts of meat and eggs was the only way to build muscle.  However, a growing list of health issues made him reassess his diet and opt for protein-packed vegan meals.  Since then, his health has improved dramatically, and he’s never been happier with his physique.  He now competes at an elite level as the world’s first professional vegan bodybuilder.[6] 

"These days I train half as much, do half as much but get better results.  Why?  Only one answer, going vegan, GMO free, and organic.  My body is running perfectly," du Plessis told the Metro.  On getting back into competing after turning vegan....du Plessis said: "We now have a point to prove and a massive incentive.  We are representing the vegans of the world, all the animals and the environment.  My crusade is to show the world that we can live a healthy, happy, and prosperous life without exploitation of innocent creatures."[5]  

Tony Gonzalez is considered by many (including me) to be the greatest tight end ever to play in the NFL.  He attributes his success and his ability to perform at such a high-level for so long (it's his fourteenth season) to his mostly plant-based diet.  In fact, in 2007 Tony went completely vegan after reading The China Study....[7]

Tony is now on a mission to educate people about their health and wellness, and the benefits of eating a more plant-based diet.  He recently launched a line of protein powder, called All Pro Science, which he created from his own personal protein batch (pea, brown rice, and hemp protein with flax seed).[7]

I also love Colin Campbell’s China Study, and have talked to him alot about eating—and he's 100% vegan....Colin eats a plant-based, whole foods diet.  A vegan diet is without question the A+ diet.  I'm [Gonzalez] more interested in getting to that B+ to A- diet.  Every once in a while, I will have a chocolate chip cookie.[7]  Tony Gonzalez also enjoys an occasional piece of fish or chicken.

Leading up to New Orleans Saints training camp this year, running back Adrian Peterson changed his diet.  One of the best running backs in NFL history is exploring veganism.  Peterson knows his specific eating habits might be upsetting to real vegans because he's still eating chicken or fish occasionally....But, as he approaches his 11th NFL season, Peterson estimates his diet is about 85 percent vegan.[8]

The 32-year-old said last week he's thought about switching to a vegan lifestyle for a while, but finally made the switch last month after Washington left tackle Trent Williams suggested he watch a documentary called "What the Health" on Netflix, which examines the relationship between diet and chronic disease.[8]

Peterson, who joined the Saints in April after 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, said he started drinking green juices regularly last year.  For the past year, most of Peterson's diet has been liquid, but now he's focusing more on eliminating animal products.[8]

Wilson Chandler was 30 years old and being told by doctors that he’d miss the entire 2015-2016 NBA season.  In the 2011-2012 season he played fewer than 20 games and 43 games in the 2012-2013 season due to injuries.[9] 

With an interest in getting healthier, Chandler started to follow a pescatarian diet (which is similar to a vegetarian diet but allows for fish).  But after doing more and more research, he came to the conclusion that it was a vegan diet—no animal products—would be best-suited for him to get to optimal health.[9] 

Fast forward through the season and Chandler posted career highs in points per games and rebounds.  After seeing great results both on the court and life, Chandler explained that this was a lifestyle shift....While Chandler was one of the first NBA athletes to make the move he certainly wasn’t the last.[9] 

Texans running back Arian Foster isn't just a football player.  He's a pretty interesting, thoughtful dude.  As of this offseason, he's also a lot richer. And a vegan.[10]  

The decision raised the eyebrows of just about everyone (coaches, teammates, fans, fantasy footballers), but Foster recently told Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports that the criticism doesn't bother him one bit.[10] 

"Everybody cares what I eat now," Foster said. "They didn't care before, but they do now.  Everybody is a nutritionist now and they're an expert on protein.  Every day, every single day somebody knows something new to do.  I just smile and say, OK".... "I didn't just blindly stop eating meat.  I know what I'm doing," Foster said.[10]    

In fact, Foster said he typically feels bad after a big, meat-heavy meal and would only indulge himself once every six months or so when it comes to the beef.[10] 

Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold.  His career spanned from 1979 to 1996, when he last won an Olympic event.  He is one of only three Olympic athletes who won a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games.[11] 

When the dust settled on the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Carl Lewis had nothing left to prove.  After competing in two Olympic Games, Lewis had won six gold medals across four events (100-Meter Dash, 200-Meter Dash, Long Jump and 4x100 Relay).  He'd set two new Olympic records in the process.  He had already built a legacy as one of the greatest track and field athletes in history.[12]