Olympic Legend Carl Lewis Says He 'Wouldn't Be Here Right Now' If He Hadn't Become Vegan
The 9-time Olympic gold medallist says he wanted to adopt a plant-based diet to prolong his career and, nearly three decades later, continues to promote its benefits.
Credit: Andy Miah
Carl Lewis, once described as 'Olympian of the Century' by Sports Illustrated, has said that "he wouldn't be here right now", if he hadn't embraced a plant-based diet.
The 9-time Olympic gold medallist turned to veganism in 1990, in an effort to "be the best athlete I could be, later in my career".
"If it wasn't for sports and activities, and then understanding my diet and going on a plant-based diet over 25 years ago, I wouldn't be here right now."
Speaking in a recent interview, Lewis, now aged 60, revealed that there was "a lack of understanding" back in the 1980s towards a plant-based lifestyle.
He said that the switch to a plant-based diet did not happen overnight, but was rather an "evolution" that spanned six months, where he spoke to lots of vegetarians, and consulted with doctors and nutritionists.
On nights out with friends, Lewis said that he often suggested going to steakhouses, as they had "great salad bars", and often took homemade lasagne to dinner parties.
The lasagne proved popular, and "a lot of friends ended up changing their diets over time".
Lewis was speaking in his new role promoting Silk Soymilk, whose latest initiative will see $50,000 donated to various track & field programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
Lewis won a gold medal in four successive Olympic Games, and still holds the world record for indoor long-jump, set back in 1984.
In previous interviews, he says he had his "best year as an athlete ever" in 1991, after switching to a vegan diet eight months earlier. In the Tokyo Olympics that year, he won the men's 100m final, setting a new world record. Speaking afterwards, he said it was "the best race of my life ... and I did it at 30".
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