We’re excited to welcome Petra back to Team Vegan Powered Athlete for her third year!
Sometimes it takes time to understand what it truly means to be part of a team. For Petra, her first two years with Team VPA were spent finding her place within the community and wondering whether she was “competitive enough” to really consider herself a VPA athlete.
Over the past year, that perspective has changed.
Petra has come to recognize something that sits at the heart of Team VPA: being an athlete isn’t defined by podiums, pace, distance, or race results.
It’s about showing up. It’s about challenging yourself. And for us, it’s also about using sport as a way to demonstrate what’s possible while living with compassion for animals, our health, and the planet.
“Over the past year, I’ve come to realize that Team VPA is about far more than competition. It’s a genuine community of compassionate, like-minded people of all abilities who share a deep commitment to health, animals, and the planet.”
That sense of community has become one of the most meaningful parts of Petra’s Team VPA experience.
Through the team, she has connected with fellow athletes including Karyn Mentink, Jody and Ben Deal, Abby Reinholt, and Team VPA founder Daniel Reintjes. Those connections quickly became more than simply meeting other athletes.
“Meeting them felt like reconnecting with lifelong friends,” Petra shared. “Conversations flowed easily, filled with shared purpose and encouragement.”
And that is exactly the kind of community we continue working to build at Team VPA.
We have athletes chasing podiums and personal records. We have athletes tackling their first races and athletes taking on distances they once thought impossible. We have runners, cyclists, triathletes, swimmers, ultrarunners, hikers, and people simply trying to become stronger, healthier versions of themselves.
There is no performance standard you have to reach before you’re worthy of calling yourself an athlete.
What connects us is something bigger.
We believe in supporting one another. We believe athletic performance and compassion can coexist. We believe our choices can make a difference for animals and the planet. And we believe that when people with those shared values come together, we can accomplish far more than we ever could individually.
Petra captured it perfectly:
“That’s what makes this team special: it’s not just about personal performance, but about belonging to a community that uplifts and inspires each other to live and lead with heart.”
As Petra begins her third year with Team VPA, we’re incredibly happy that she has found not only a team, but a place where she knows she belongs.
Because whether you’re standing on a podium, crossing your first finish line, chasing a new challenge, or simply putting one foot in front of the other, there is a place for you here.
Welcome back for Year 3, Petra!
We’re proud to have you representing Team Vegan Powered Athlete and can’t wait to see where the next year takes you.
Powered by plants. Driven by compassion. Stronger together.
