Lisa Gawthorne said she was 'over the moon' with the victory - which comes as she celebrates 20 years of veganism
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Vegan athlete Lisa Gawthorne has scooped gold at the European Duathlon Championships.
Alongside her sporting endeavours, Lisa runs a vegan food brand company Bravura Foods as well as being the author of vegan fitness book Gone in 60 Minutes and creator of the card deck resource The Vegan Deck.
The athlete, who is celebrating 20 years of being vegan, travelled to Caorle in Italy last weekend to compete in the event, which comprises a 5km run followed by a 23km bike lap and then a final 2.5km run.
Lisa put in a fantastic performance to win her category and become the European Champion, taking home gold for the GB team.
She beat competitors from various countries including Austria, Italy and Great Britain to win the event. Her victory follows her taking bronze in the world championships in June last year in Romania.
Vegan athlete Lisa Gawthorne
In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, Lisa said: “I am so over the moon with this result, I really had to work hard for it. I put in a strong first run and worked hard in a pack on the bike and then had to give it my all on the final run to get into the winning gold medal position.
“I was under a little pressure for the final run as my helmet got stuck in transition so it meant I had to get out there super-fast and overtake some really talented athletes that passed me in transition.
“When I sprinted over the line to hear my name called out as the category winner was just amazing.
“Once I checked the results with my boyfriend and friends at the finish line and saw that I got the gold medal, I was very emotional as I’ve put in so much hard work and graft and it just felt so rewarding that it had all paid off to be crowned European Champion.”
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Veganniversary
Lisa Gawthorne continued: “It’s even more special because this year I am celebrating my 20th veganniversary. People cannot believe I’ve been vegan for so long when they talk to me but it feels like it’s all I’ve ever known and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I am vegan for the animals but there are huge health and performance benefits in sport that have without a doubt played a significant part in my athletic journey.
“I recover super-fast; my sleep is amazing and my digestion is on point – which is very important in sport and fitness as 70% of the immune system is located in the gut and keeping healthy is essential when you have to put in hard training sessions.”
She added that she is ‘so passionate about supporting the vegan movement and spreading the positivity and well-informed knowledge with others that may be vegan-curious’.
“Over the years I have had a lots of team mates that have transitioned to vegan diets and they’ve told me I was a major influence – that means so much to me,” Lisa concluded.
Want to learn more about this inspiring vegan athlete? Read our interview with Lisa Gawthorne.
