Today is International Women’s Day. Today, we’re honouring a few movers and shakers in the world of media, entertainment and sports and who also happen to be vegans on a mission to make a difference.
Ellen DeGeneres
“I do it because I love animals,” says this talk show host who has built a media empire with her witty banter and passion for social causes. “I saw the reality and I just couldn’t ignore it anymore.” Her wife, Portia Lee James DeGeneres — better known as Portia de Rossi — is also a vegan, and the couple hosted an all-vegan banquet for their wedding.
Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
These two models’ story proves that a seemingly random coincidence can turn into a huge blessing. In 2005, they wrote a book that hardly anyone ever heard of: Skinny Bitch. This vegan manifesto initially underwent a print run of just 10,000 copies. Then, paparazzi caught Victoria Beckham with a copy of the book under her arm and the story blew up, turning Freedman and Barnouin into overnight New York Times bestselling authors. Now, millions of women have been exposed to the benefits of a vegan diet, as well as the horrors that occur at America’s factory farms.
Hannah Teter
This Vermont snowboarder won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Her love for the world of snow and ice also crosses into her charity work. Recently, Teter posed for an ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to speak out against the bludgeoning of baby seals in Canada. “When I saw that PETA was involved in saving the seals, I just was like, ‘YEAH!'” says Teter, who’s also a vegetarian. “That’s something I want to be a part of because it’s such a huge massacre.”
Lea Michele
Lea Michele, one of the stars from the hit TV series Glee, powers her vocal chords on veggies alone. This American actress’ vegan lifestyle actually made a quick appearance in a Glee episode. In the episode, one of Michele’s archenemies throws eggs at her and screams, “I hear you’re a vegan! The souls of those poor egg fetuses are all on your conscience now.” A few years ago, Michele appeared in several PETA advertisements to protest the treatment of carriage horses in New York City.
Ruth Heidrich
Heidrich is the true definition of a plant-based athlete. This cancer survivor has won more than 900 medals as a runner, all while being a vegan for more than a quarter of a century.
