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**2025 Team VPA applications NOW OPEN - NO INITIATION FEE UNTIL DEC 13TH**
Patrick's Vegan Journey and Giving Back to Bluegrass VegFest

Patrick's Vegan Journey and Giving Back to Bluegrass VegFest

My Vegan Journey and Bluegrass VegFest

In 2016, I gave up meat for the month of May. I was really struggling to maintain a consistently-healthy dietary and exercise routine. I had dabbled with juice cleanses and knew of the wonderful effects so I assumed even more plants with no meat would be a step in the right direction. And if not, I would just go back to eating meat in June and consider it a meatless May challenge. 

But here’s the thing…

I felt good. Like really fucking good. 

I had more energy. My skin started to clear up and my complexion looked healthier. I lost weight, but more importantly, I lost fat on my body that I had been storing since college. And I wanted to exercise more. 

And by June, I was calling myself a vegetarian. 

It took me two years to give up dairy. Ice cream and cheese were on the uptick when I began my plant based journey, but there weren’t a lot of good options YET. 

In 2018, I finally ditched dairy and was amazed again at the health benefits of doing so. And so began my vegan journey. 

I don’t know if I can put into words just how much this decision has helped me. But it has. I have continued to be the healthiest, strongest, calmest, best version of me that I’ve ever been. 

That’s part of the reason I wanted to join Vegan Powered Athlete in 2022. 

It’s part of the reason why I wanted to volunteer at last years VegFest. 

It’s the whole reason I wanted to help even more with the 2023 version of Bluegrass VegFest. 

Because a big part of being the best me is helping others. And with VegFest, we help people. We help business owners. We help the environment. AND we help the animals. 

My choice to become vegan was a choice for my health. Some ethical vegans don’t like that, but for me, I think I had to get my health right first… to remove the toxins from my body… to discover the truth about the torture of the animals… to learn and begin to understand the benefits veganism has for the environment… and so much else. 

And so, in January, I started volunteering a handful of hours each month to Bluegrass VegFest. Now, in just a few short weeks, it will occur in its epic fashion once again. Thousands of VegHeads will gather to eat, learn, smile, and grow our community larger, stronger, and more compassionate. 

Why should you come to Bluegrass VegFest?

Because you want to explore the depths of life without the incessant need for consumption of other living beings. 

Because you’re an athlete that wants to experience less inflammation, cleaner energy, and learn about endurance sports from the VPA booth, other health practitioner vendors, or our headlining speakers. 

Because you want to learn how to implement a plant based diet for specific health reasons. We’ve got vendors and speakers for that too. 

Or maybe you just want some really great vegan food- from cupcakes, pies, and cookies, to plant based beverages and smoothies, to fried foods, burgers, whole foods or soul foods- there will be TONS of options this year!! 

Saturday July 15th

Mellwood Arts Center

1860 Mellwood Ave 

Check out the website or socials for more info!!

Peace, Love, and Veggie Grease

Patrick @louisvilleveganrunner 

https://bluegrassvegfest.com/

https://instagram.com/bluegrassvegfest?igshid=Y2I2MzMwZWM3ZA==

https://www.facebook.com/BluegrassVegFest?mibextid=LQQJ4d

MEET SOME OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS

In 2022 we had 100 Team Members. BE APART OF THE FAMILY AND SHARE YOUR STORY

Meet Team VPA member Renee @runtrails_eatplants . It is her second year on the team and she has been helping out behind the scenes on our IG @team_vpa and our FB pages"Life is too short to stay inside your comfort zone, reach for the sky. I’m Renee and I am an ultrarunner living outside Atlanta, Georgia. 14 years ago, I went plant based for my health and I never looked back. After a bad foot injury, I discovered I loved lifting as much as I love running the trails. So, at the age of 50 I added lifting heavy to my training plan. I am passionate about spreading the message that age is no limit and you can not only thrive on a plant-based diet, you can help end animal cruelty and have a positive impact on the environment too. So, get out there and go for it!"

Welcome to the team@monica.strattonSport: Triathlon, Cycling, Running

"I have struggled for my entire life with food. It seems everything I ate made me feel sluggish or sick. My husband and I decided to try the vegan lifestyle and we have never felt better. My digestive system is running so much better and I feel I have more sustainable energy through my workouts and life. Being vegan has helped me fuel better for all my races and training.
I am very proud to be a vegan athlete. I have seen what it has done for me and my performance in all my sports. I want to share my story of how being vegan has changed my life in terms of how I feel on a daily basis and in sport. Being a professional athlete my students look to me and how I live my life and I am very proud to tell them how much better my body feels being vegan "

Welcome back@rjsacksVeganism saved my dad's life many years ago. He had horrible blockages in his heart and faced stents and a very dangerous operation, or seeing what would happen if he went whole food no oil plant based. He reversed his heart disease and is healthy as ever and still vegan. He never needed heart surgery. He is now 61 years old and still doing distance cycling rides. I started changing what I was eating during high school when my dad switched his diet. I made the complete switch after I met my boyfriend, a collegiate vegan runner at the time. I was mostly looking at veganism through a health lens until I met him and he helped me face the ethical dilemmas of eating animal products as well. Since I went vegan, my sister went vegan, my mom went vegetarian almost plant based, and my brother (who I thought would never change) has cut a significant amount of meat and dairy from his diet. My dad, boyfriend and I are all vegan cyclists currently. My whole immediate family is very open to veganism and eats vegan at family gatherings. Being vegan has been easy with supports like mine.
I feel strongly about spreading a positive message and hopefully helping make a change. Veganism saves so many animals, it can save people like my dad, and can save our planet. I can show other athletes that vegans aren't frail and sickly, we can compete and do well without eating animal products.

Welcome to the team@prost_1969I had high cholesterol high blood pressure and was 40 lbs over weight. The doctor said statins for the rest of my life because high cholesterol was in my family so I took things into my own hands. Since then I lost the 40 lbs and reversed all the other issues . I now also realize the impact going vegan has on the animals and the environment. I love cycling and running and by joining the team I can reach more people and show them that you can’t just survive without the use of animal products but thrive!!

Meet Team VPA athlete Shari. We are glad she joined us Meet“Hi team, this is my first year with Team VPA. I'm overjoyed to have found this team. I adore the mission statement because it reflects my beliefs too. I'm 48 years young, a small business owner, yogi, group fitness instructor, and outdoor enthusiast. My primary sport is Triathlon, but running will always be my first love with more than 6 marathons under my belt. Vegan for over 15 yrs. Before that vegetarian for 3 years. My biggest vegan athlete accomplishment was completing my first Ironman last year after many years doing Triathlons. This year I'm looking forward to enjoying long cycling tours in Europe! Follow my adventures on IG @sparks_vegan”

Welcome to the team@mattd_team_vegan_athletics"My name is Matt Dellaro. This is my first year as a Team VPA member as well as my first new year as an endurance athlete. I decided last February to buy a road bike and start cycling again after not having done it since my teens...I'm 51 now. I heard about short course triathlons and decided to see what I could do. I have 3 sprints behind me now as well as a 5k and 8k trail running races, a 5k road, two 10k races and a half marathon. I'm looking forward to longer triathlons as I get more comfortable with open water swimming, and working up to a 70.3 or even a 140.6. I've been vegan for over 8 years, and am so loving this new chapter in my life. Thanks to everyone at Team VPA who has been so helpful, supportive and just plain cool."

We are so glad you joined us@barefootjei"My name is Jérémie alias@barefootjei, I'm 28 years old and I'm from Normandy in France.

I have been vegan for 3 years now. I'm vegan for the animals! I'm so happy to have joined the team and to wear our colors in my country.

In 2022 I will be running every day to raise funds that will be donated to two Vegan associations.

My goal for 2022 is a 55km in May and another probably longer race by the end of the year."

"My name is Gloria Perez and I live in sunny Southern California. This is the first year I'm on Team VPA. I have been vegan for 4.5 years. I made the switch after my son inspired me. Becoming vegan has been one of the best decisions I've made for my health and of course for the animals and for the planet we all share. I have 3 sons and 2 grandsons. I've been running for 8 years. I've ran many distances, but my favorite distance is the half marathon. I enjoy both road and trail running. I also enjoy backpacking, cycling, lifting weights, OCR and traveling. One of my goals for this year is to start racing duathalons. I'd also love to do R2R2R (Grand Canyon). I'm also currently learning to speak French. "