Vegan surfing sensation Tia Blanco has racked up two major victories in recent months – adding more titles to her impressive record.
The first was at the Corona Extra Pro Surfing Circuit O’Neill Series in Puerto Rico in March, where she took a win before jetting off to Barbados.
Soon afterwards she was in Tofino, Canada for the Rip Curl, where she took another win.
Competition
“There were some new competitors in each competition to spar with,” Blanco told Great Vegan Athletes. “It was fun to go to the different places and see the different Olympians that may arise from each locale.”
She added that she has changed her perspective – and it’s paying off in performance, saying: “I feel like this year I have let go of a lot of pressure I put on myself.
“I am focusing on having more fun and it is showing in my surfing I think which has been translating to some good wins.”
The star’s recent travels are documented on YouTube
Vegan
The 21-year-old lifelong vegetarian went vegan in her teens when she watched a documentary and ‘saw what they did to animals’.
She said she finds following a plant-based diet ‘easy’, adding: “I have been vegan for five years now and I am good at making sure I am prepared and I bring a lot of food with me on my travels.
“More and more there are vegan spots to eat but just in case I make sure I have all my nutrients. Packing Vegansmart meal replacers has been a game changer.”
You can watch Blanco’s trip in a five-part video,the first part is here, the others follow automatically.