Plantbuilt powerhouses dominate Mr America

The Vegan Strong Plantbuilt team won 48 gold medals and smashed records.

The Vegan Strong Plantbuilt team showed up in force at this year’s Mr America competition. Last year the team won a record 41 medals but this year that number rocketed to 55, including an incredible 48 gold.

Records were broken in the deadlift competitions as Jerry Stanley lifted 300 kg, setting a new world record for his class, and Sarah Kashdan also broke a national record with her deadlift and took three golds.

Powerlifter Nick Squires achieved the most medal wins, walking away with eight hanging around his neck. He achieved a combined weight of 771 kg, squatting 290 kg, benching 175 kg and deadlifting over 300 kg. Katya Gorbacheva was awarded best overall female lifter with a combined total of 455 kg. She squatted 170 kg, benched 95 kg, and deadlifted 190 kg.

Strongman competitors had a ball with a fantastic haul of seven medals. Ric Carroll won the Open Men’s Heavyweight, and Andrew Keys took first place in the Open Men’s Lightweight category. Tom Butts followed his win at the World Strongman Games with bronze in the Men’s Open Middleweight class. Melissa Busta recently won the Strongman Nationals and she added a first place in the Open Women’s Middleweight class, while the accomplished Angeline Berva took gold in the Open Women’s Heavyweight.

The kettlebell team had a killer competition, taking home 17 medals, including 16 golds and 17 best-of-titles.

With so many medals it’s impossible to list them all here but other gold medallists include: Brittany Billings, Michelle Carlson, Vincent Crapello, Ndem Nkem, Alex Shopov, Justin Karstetter, Jennifer Hintenberger, Steven Riddle, Nicholas Thick, Geri Hintenberger, Tim Bell, Hege Jenssen, and Sara Lee won the women’s Most Weight Lifted title after shifting a total 15,896 kg in 55 minutes. That’s almost 16 tonnes!

New to the bodybuilding team, Evelyn Santos won the Open Bikini class, earning multiple pro cards. Maddie McConnell followed her recent win at the World Championships with second in Pro Figure and Daiane Ozorio took third place in Women’s Pro Wellness. Shelli Beecher-Seitzler, Tammy Albanese and Alice Robeson all showed some extremely high standards too.

All this goes to show that plant protein is just as effective at building muscle as animal protein, and you can not only compete at the highest level following a vegan diet, but you can win too! Founder of the Vegan Strong Plantbuilt team and bodybuilder Giacomo Marchese told Great Vegan Athletes:

“As more people see the success that the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team has at Mr America and other competitions, they will realise that plant protein can take you to the elite levels of their sports. You can be a champion athlete and still be compassionate.”

Content sourced and adapted, with permission, from Great Vegan Athletes.