Athena is a vegan athlete and mental health advocate based in New Jersey. To her, a beautiful moment is when you feed the mind and strengthen the body on a daily basis. You’ve got to learn to enjoy the moment.
Meatless Movement recently had a chat with her. She told Meatless Movement that the now is all we have. Take care of yourself, exercise, have fun, meditate. Your mind is counting on you to experience life at its fullest.
Tell us more about yourself, please
I love the earth it is my planet 🌎 I love the earth it is my home!
Athena
My name is Athena and I am 24 years old. I’m originally from Michigan but I currently live in New
Jersey. I’ve also lived in Ohio, Idaho, and Germany for three years. I’m passionate about
veganism, fitness, travel and most importantly our mental health. I enjoy sharing vegan products
and mindset tools through social media (@iamjustathena)! Having an attitude of gratitude is what
I live by!
I went vegetarian when I was 14 years old after watching a video about factory farming and never
went back. When I was 18 years old I found out I had a brain tumor. The tumor, called rosette
forming glioneuronal, was very rare and it needed to be removed.
For every reason, the animals, the environment, and my health!
Athena
My first surgery was in Michigan with Dr. Vitaz, and my second surgery was in Germany with Dr. Oertel. The surgeries were a success, and I am healthy now! However, an emotional after effect was that I gained
20lbs of fat.
After a few years of healing physically and emotionally, I was ready to lose the fat and work on being the healthiest version of me. This is when I discovered the vegan lifestyle. I originally went vegan to lose weight and for my health.
Once I learned that being vegetarian was still contributing to factory farming, I was able to align my morals with my choice. I watched “Dairy is Scary” on YouTube and vowed to be vegan for the rest of my life.
After having brain surgery the scariest feeling I’ve ever felt is the feeling of knowing I could die tomorrow. I cannot imagine instilling that kind of cruelty and fear onto another being. It’s 2022 now and I have been vegan for four years for every reason, the animals, the environment, and my health!
What are the challenges of plant based diet?
I used to find veganism challenging when I first made the switch but in today’s world it is very easy to be vegan. There are options at almost all restaurants and grocery stores! I’ve traveled to more than thirty countries and have found vegan options in every single one.
HappyCow makes it very easy to find restaurants nearby!
The only challenge I’ve truly experienced is friends not willing to go to restaurants with vegan options. I overcome this by going to restaurants alone or ordering food online and bringing it to the restaurant my friend wants to go to.
However, the best option I have found is finding more vegan friends (or friends open to veganism) to travel with instead! When in doubt, french fries and salads are my go to but I always bring NoCow protein
bars with me everywhere I go as a backup!
Going vegan is the best decision I’ve ever made
Athena
I’ve never felt more alive, and connected before starting this journey. Veganism is a lifestyle, not a diet. I like to look at life as we are all one and we are all energy. Now imagine eating something and the last thing it did was cry and scream in terror. Now imagine that energy being shifted into you as you consume it.
That’s what happens when we eat burgers, hot dogs, etc we are taking in that negative energy. By now eating whole foods that nourish me I feel light and alive!
People always ask what I eat as a vegan on a typical day…
Athena
I would suggest that they try a vegan version of their favorite foods! If they like burgers, try the
Beyond burger. If they like pasta, try lentil bolognese! There is a vegan version of everything!
My advice would be to do your research. Find a strong reason why you want to make the switch
and hold to it. Also, to connect with other vegans who share your why! Having a community of
people who truly understand my lifestyle has been life changing.
This was to die for! what’s more to love?
Athena
My favorite places for vegan food have been Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, California, New York City, New York, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Berlin, Germany, and my home town Grand Rapids, Michigan. These are my favorite places because they have an abundance of options!
Some of my favorite places have been Off the Griddle in Portland, Stella’s Lounge in Grand Rapids, YoYo food world in Berlin, Ladurée in Beverly Hills, The Vegan Junkfood Bar in Amsterdam, Vegan on the Fly in NYC, and my all time favorite sandwich was from a place called Choco Kebab Cafe in Malta! You can find pictures of all of these places on my food account (@athenaishungry)!
There are many plant-based/vegan athletes thriving and proving that stereotype wrong
Athena
Some misconceptions are that we are all crazy, weak, and militant. The majority of us are very
kind, and respectful.
Of course, there are extreme vegans, but there are extremes when it comes to all social causes and beliefs. That doesn’t mean we are all that way. I like to lead by example and a part of that is treating others how I want to be treated.
We didn’t all start off as vegan so many of us have much more compassion than you’re told to believe.
Also, eating whole food plant based has scientifically been proven to be extremely healthy.
iamjustathena
Athena
MI → DE 🇩🇪 → NJ 📍
Vegan Athlete 🌱
Mental Health Advocate ✨
🧠 tumor survivor
all images courtesy of Athena