Still somehow believe that being a vegan athlete puts you at a disadvantage to your meat-eating competitors? You might want to have a conversation with Juliana Sproles.
The 43-year-old just won the “World’s Toughest Mudder” competition, a 24-hour endurance challenge over a military-style obstacle course that’s considered one of the most difficult contests ever devised. Not only do you have to sign something called a “Death Waiver”, but only those that had finished previous Mudder competitions over the last year (from a field of 150,000) could take place in the final 24-hour NJ contest. So, while the 800 that started were superhuman, you can consider the 50 that actually finished the damn thing akin to an entirely new species; perhaps even alien – or half-Terminator.
NJ.com breaks down what’s involved:
“They’re called mudders because they slog through waist-high mud that soaks them to the core and swallows sneakers. They fall from rings and monkey bars and rocking platforms into icy waters. They climb two-story high cargo nets and taunting walls. They crawl through watery tunnels and carry tires. They try to scale huge slides coated with cooking oil. Drenched, they fight their way through curtains of live wires that crackle with electricity, burning and stinging when they brush the skin.”
So what does it take to destroy your competition and claim the title of “Toughest Woman on the Planet” (and third overall)? For Sproles, it was being fueled by a vegan diet.
“We had a strategy, and a plan, and we executed it,” Sproles told her sponsor Boku foods. “I had Boku Super Food, Boku Super Protein, I ate my Boku bars, I also had immune tonic and Boku Matcha tea in my tent. The blend of the Boku products provided my nutritional needs for the event. I was able to go 24 hours and 10 minutes, to finish the last lap. I could not have done it without Boku.”
And even though Sproles finished the event with two frost-bitten toes, she still relished the experience.
“It was gnarly,” she said. “The mud mile went on forever, with 8-?foot walls and slippery berms. Overnight temperatures in the low 20’s caused the ice to freeze a quarter inch thick by the early morning, we had to break through it with our hands and feet, and then slog through it and keep moving forward.”
I’m cringing just thinking about that. But it’s an amazing testament to the power of vegan foods to drive a competitor through that madness and get him/her across the finish line. Congrats to Sproles!
For an idea of the hell that is the 24-hour Mudder final, check out the promo video below.
About Michael dEstries
Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.View all posts by Michael dEstries →
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http://www.facebook.com/juliana.sproles Juliana Sproles
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http://www.facebook.com/juliana.sproles Juliana Sproles
