Vegan Women Become Strongman And Bodybuilding Champions

Two vegan athletes have proven once again you don’t need to eat animals to be strong. Melissa Busta placed first at the Strongman Corporation National Championship in the US on September 23, becoming the first vegan woman to do so. On the same weekend, fellow vegan athlete Maddie McConnell became a world champion for the second time when she won the Figure Division of the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilding (OCB) World Championship Yorton Cup.

Busta, a 36-year-old emergency room nurse, has been vegan for 11 years, while 32-year-old McConnell, a personal trainer, has been vegan for five years. They are both members of Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Team, a collective of vegan athletes who showcase the physical abilities while being ethical vegans.

The Strongman National Championship is a two-day invite-only event. The 2024 competition was only Busta’s second time taking part. Her win led to an invitation for her to compete in the prestigious 2025 Arnold Classic Amateur Strongman event in March. The OCB Yorton Cup is among the most prestigious drug-tested natural bodybuilding events in the world. It was McConnell’s first time competing in it.

Vegan for the animals

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Inspired by a fellow personal trainer who ate plant-based, McConnell decided to look into it herself. On discovering the harms of animal agriculture to the environment and the animals, she made the switch.

“Going vegan, aligning my actions with my morals, was by far the best decision I’ve ever made, and I will never go back,” she told Plant Based News (PBN).

Busta, meanwhile, first started thinking about the health impacts of the diet when she was in nursing school when she witnessed a open heart surgery. “I saw first hand what diet can do to your arteries and heart,” she said. “I couldn’t wait for that nutrition course to teach us how to prevent this and other diseases … the course was never provided.” So she did her own research into the relationship between diet and health, including watching the Forks Over Knives documentary. “It was like opening Pandora’s box; no going back.”

Like McConnell, once Busta understood what happens to animals in the food system, they became her main motivation. “They are the main reason why I continue to be vegan each day!” she said. “I want to show the world you can be healthy, strong and compassionate by simply choosing peace each day with each bite!”

Veganism boosts performance

Both Busta and McConnell credit their veganism with helping them perform better.

“I went vegan the same time I started pursuing bodybuilding,” McConnell told . “All of the muscle I have built has been on a plant-based diet.” She says she has also noticed that her energy levels are generally “more steady throughout the day.” When she ate animal products, she would “often feel sluggish afterwards, like I wanted to take a nap.”

“I was vegan for years before I started sports; I owe my athleticism and success directly to that vegan diet,” said Busta. “My recovery is definitely faster than the omnivore that I train with. I walk around leaner year round which helped immensely during my body building cutting phase.” She describes her metabolism as “a well oiled machine running clean fuel.”

Facing misconceptions

Despite their obvious strength, they have both encountered continuing misconceptions about how vegans can be strong. “There is a lack of understanding how one can get protein without eating meat,” said McConnell. “So they jump to the conclusion that vegans must not be able to build muscle. I think the more people see just how successful vegan athletes can be, the more they will begin to question whether or not they actually need animal products to be healthy, athletic, strong, muscular.”

“I meet people everyday that are so surprised to learn that I am vegan,” said Busta. “Unfortunately I find that the overall perception of vegan is frail, weak and protein deficient.” She has also faced skepticism from within strongman and bodybuilding communities. “People underestimate the power of plants and their ability to build and fuel an athlete!”

McConnell’s experience with other athletes has been more supportive, however. “Some of my fellow coworkers who are personal trainers and bodybuilders are also plant-based,” she said. “My community understands that eating plant-based is a viable option to achieve any athletic endeavors.”

Busta and McConnell will compete at the Mr. America Strongman competition on October 12 in Atlantic City along with their Vegan Strong PlantBuilt teammates.