Welcome to Team VPA: Meet Ely

August 10, 2026

We’re excited to officially welcome Ely to Team Vegan Powered Athlete for her first year!

Ely brings together so much of what Team VPA represents: compassion, personal growth, community, and a willingness to challenge what we believe we’re capable of.

Her vegan journey began 10 years ago, initially motivated by her health. But as she learned more about the impact of her choices, her reasons for being vegan evolved.

“I’ve been vegan for ten years now and I couldn’t be happier,” Ely shared. “My journey started with health in mind, but the more I learned, the more I felt a responsibility to live with compassion. Now I’m proudly vegan for the animals before anything else.”

That evolution eventually became intertwined with another major transformation in Ely’s life: becoming an athlete.

From “Not an Athlete” to 70.3 Finisher

Ely’s fitness journey only began about four years ago.

She didn’t grow up defining herself as an athlete or imagining the kinds of endurance challenges that would eventually become part of her life. Instead, she started moving, kept showing up, found a supportive community, and discovered just how much she was capable of.

“Going from not being an athlete to becoming part of a strong and supportive fitness community has changed my life.”

What started with her first 5K eventually grew into bigger goals, longer distances, and new challenges.

And then came a milestone that would have seemed pretty incredible to the Ely who was just beginning her fitness journey:

Crossing the finish line of an Ironman 70.3.

From a first 5K to 70.3 miles of swimming, cycling, and running, Ely’s journey is a powerful reminder that athletes aren’t simply born. Sometimes we become athletes one workout, one finish line, and one decision to keep going at a time.

And she has done it all while powered by plants.

Creating Community Along the Way

But Ely’s journey isn’t only about what she has accomplished personally.

One of the things we love most about her story is how she has taken the encouragement she found through fitness and started creating that same experience for others.

Today, Ely leads a monthly run club, bringing people together to move, connect, and encourage one another.

That commitment to community fits perfectly with the spirit of Team VPA.

While we love seeing our athletes chase finish lines, PRs, podiums, and ambitious goals, being a Vegan Powered Athlete has never been defined solely by results.

It’s also about encouraging the person beside you.

It’s about creating spaces where people feel welcome.

It’s about demonstrating that athletes can be strong and competitive while still leading with compassion.

And sometimes, simply showing someone else that they belong can be every bit as meaningful as crossing another finish line.

Smiles, Miles & Compassion

After ten years of veganism and four years of discovering what she can accomplish as an athlete, Ely has found a philosophy that keeps the entire journey beautifully simple:

“For me, it’s all about smiles, miles, and proving that strength and compassion make the perfect team.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Every Team VPA athlete arrives with a different story. Some have been competing for decades. Others are preparing for their first race. Some are chasing podiums, while others are simply discovering how much they love moving their bodies.

What connects us is the belief that athleticism and compassion belong together—and that every mile gives us another opportunity to represent what’s possible as vegan athletes.

Ely has already traveled an incredible distance from that first 5K to becoming an Ironman 70.3 finisher, run club leader, and proud vegan athlete.

Now we’re excited to have her begin the next chapter as part of our community.

Welcome to Team Vegan Powered Athlete, Ely!

We can’t wait to share some smiles and miles with you and see where your first year with Team VPA takes you.

Powered by plants. Driven by compassion. Stronger together.

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”

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. "