[photo courtesy of torre washington]
Weed smoking, incense burning, tree hugging, stick thin, glassy eyed, permanently spaced out, inane grinning, bell chiming hippies are some of the stereotypes associated with vegans and vegetarians.
The veggie pr machine makes constant efforts to get high profile vegetarian and vegan celebs/athletes to help increase awareness and coolness of the plant based diet. But very often these individuals are merely dipping their toes into the 'vegan water' (that sounds like a great product) and are wrongly hailed as saviours of the lifestyle even after they've returned to their meat eating ways.
[photo courtesy of torre washington]
Mr Torre Washington on the other hand is no drive by vegan for a season! His commitment at 38 years of age has been virtually life long.
Nicknamed 'Tha Vegan Dread', Torre was raised a vegetarian by his Mother who followed strictly the dietary requirements prescribed by her Seventh-Day Adventist religious beliefs. And his own spiritual practice as a youth in Jamaica came from Rastafarianism and its observation of the 'ital' lifestyle which encourages vegetarianism.
[photo courtesy of torre washington]
It was in 1998 after returning to the States that he switched to strict veganism.
Being the exercise and diet guinea pigs we are it's refreshing to discover a life long non-meateating bodybuilder with such impressive mass and definition! In vogue in fitness circles right now is a highly carnivorous version of the 'paleo diet'. Type it into instagram and you're faced with a deluge of extreme paleo porn featuring all types of exotic meats. We can just imagine followers of the diet salivating and licking their lips at the prospect of science being able to resurrect the woolly mammoth.
[photo courtesy of torre washington]
Vegans like Torre find that the predominant ingredients in their diets: nuts, seeds, lentils, beans and green leafy veg provide a good balance of proteins, carbs and essential healthy fats. The proof that the diet works is in the dairy free pudding and Torre's numerous bodybuilding titles gained in such a short time.
[photo courtesy of torre washington]
Although not a late starter to sport and fitness having competed in American football and track and field in his college days, it wasn't until he turned 34 years old in 2009 that he went from being a pedestrian gym goer to entering his first competition. Since then he has entered 13 shows placing within the top three except for one:
2009 – 3rd Place Open SNBF
2009 – 1st Place and Overall winner SNBF (Pro Card)
2011 – 3rd Place at 1st Pro show SNBF
2011 – 3rd Place at 1st Muscle Mania
2011 – 5th Place at 2nd Pro show SNBF
2012 – 3rd Place at 1st IFPA Pro show (Pro Card)
2012 – 2nd Place at 3rd Pro show SNBF
2012 – 2nd Place at 2nd Muscle Mania
2013 – 1st Place and Best Poser at IFPA Pro show
2013 – 2nd Place at SNBF Pro Show
2013 – 1st Place in division at Muscle Mania Universe (Pro Card)
2013 - 1st Place at INBF/WNBF Naturally Fit Show (Pro Card)
2013 - 1st Place in Welterweight class at NPC Alabama State
[photo courtesy of torre washington]
The training regimen that he followed to achieve these placings is as pure as his diet. In fact he sort advice from bodybuilding legend and now swoletimer Jim Morris who turned vegetarian in 1985 and vegan in 2000 at 65. Jim encouraged Torre to make squats, deadlifts, pull-ups and the bench press his workout staples.
At 38 the engineer, personal trainer and bodybuilder has a glow and muscularity of an athlete half his age. And there's no doubt, that like his hero Jim Morris, Torre will have a long and fruitful fitness career.
The powers that be in the vegan fitness community wouldn't go wrong in persuading the articulate, attractive and enthusiastic Vegan Dread to be a key spokesperson, poster boy and pin-up for the very misunderstood lifestyle.
[photo via vegan health and fitness magazine]
For more on Tha Vegan Dread, like him on facebook and follow him on instagram and twitter.
Source: MNL
