Vegan kettlebell athlete achieves double European Gold

Hege Jenssen, a vegan kettlebell lifter, secures two gold medals at the IUKL European Championships in Bulgaria

Despite limited mainstream media coverage, vegan athlete Hege Jenssen has once again demonstrated her exceptional strength and determination, securing two gold medals at the IUKL European Championships held in Sophia, Bulgaria.

The Norwegian champion returned to competing in two demanding kettlebell events – the snatch and the longcycle (clean & jerk) – and triumphed in both categories.

“In recent years, I have primarily focused on the ‘snatch’,” Jenssen explained. “But for the first time since 2017, I decided to also compete in the ‘longcycle’ (clean & jerk).”

Historically, women were restricted from competing with double kettlebells in the longcycle and jerk until 2018. Jenssen readily embraced the challenge, showcasing her remarkable strength and technique.

In the snatch event, she completed an impressive 195 repetitions within the 10-minute time limit. This was followed by a stellar performance in the longcycle, where she achieved 65 repetitions. These outstanding results earned Hege Jenssen double gold medals in the veteran category at the European Championships.

Interestingly, her snatch performance in Bulgaria wasn’t her personal best for the season. Earlier in February, Jenssen won the IKO California online competition with an astounding 220 snatch repetitions.

“Training for both snatch and longcycle simultaneously did require some adjustment in my training volume for each lift,” Jenssen noted, “but it was important for me to compete in the longcycle again. My last time competing in that discipline was at the World Championships in South Korea in 2017, which was a significant event as it included trials for women competing with double bells in the longcycle.”

Vegan for the win

Hege Jenssen has been a dedicated vegan for 15 years and proudly represents NOAH, the prominent Norwegian animal rights organisation. Her plant-based diet plays a crucial role in fueling her intense training and recovery.

Her nutritional staples include a wide variety of whole foods such as oats, tofu, chickpeas, tahini, potatoes, carrots, beets, broccoli, and cauliflower. “I also love the versatility of wraps for almost anything! And of course, plenty of different berries and fruits, with oranges and apples being my favorites. Nut butter is a delicious treat, especially straight from the jar.”

This double European gold victory further solidifies Hege Jenssen’s position as a leading figure in the kettlebell sport and a powerful advocate for veganism in athletics.

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