Vegan Hercules takes podium in strongman nationals
Six monster events stood between Bradie and his goals – the podium and a place in the World finals
American powerlifter, Bradie Crandall, also known as Vegan Hercules, took silver at the Natural USA’s Strongest Man (u105 kg) in what he described as “a difficult lesson in attention to detail.”
Coming close to taking the title, he missed out despite some stellar performances. He won two of the events, came joint first in another, and second in another. A risky decision to prioritise speed over grip in the fifth event – the max distance sandbag carry – landed him in fifth place, narrowly putting the overall win just out of his grasp.
After the event, Bradie reflected:
“[I] had started a new job this week so the fact I was sleep deprived, sick, and had to weigh in on the morning of the comp was out of my control. What was in my control was my execution, which fell short. Strongman is as much a mental game as it is a physical one at this level.”
However, not all is lost. Second place is still a great result and qualifies Bradie for World’s Strongest Natural Man in Glasgow, Scotland.
Content sourced and adapted, with permission, from Great Vegan Athletes.
About the author
Nicholas Hallows
Nicholas has been vegan since the early 2000s and worked for Viva! between 2017 and 2020 as a Senior Administrator and Web Content Assistant. He is a qualified teacher, specialising in Language and Literacy, and an accredited Proofreader and Editor. He is now a freelance writer covering topics including veganism, mindfulness and minimalism.
