Female Boxer Wants to Show You Can Win Olympic Gold as a Vegan

Tammara Thibeault is a young vegan boxer who is out to show the world that you don't need to eat meat or dairy to get protein and train for your sport at the highest levels. The 24-year-old boxer is training intensely for the Tokyo games and eats a strictly vegan diet and says she hopes is to raise worldwide awareness about the nutritional and overall health benefits of living plant-based.

“I’m proof you can get all the nutrients you need if you’re living plant-based,” Thibeault, who is boxing for Canada, asserted. “Three years ago, I started slowly cutting meat out of my diet and one day I realized I didn’t have any meat at all in my refrigerator. I feel better when I don’t eat meat. It’s better for your health and the environment.”

Thibeault started boxing at age nine, as a way to spend more time with her brother and her father, former professional football player Patrick Thibeault, who used boxing to stay in shape during his off-season. Calling herself "too stubborn to not be good," the now 6' and 165-lb Thibeault used her "smooth-boxing" style to win countless early accolades, including a bronze at the 2019 World Championships, and a gold at the 2017 Continental championships, as well as a silver at the 2019 Lima Pan Am Games.

Female Boxing has been an Olympic sport since the London Games in 2012

Watching the very first women's Olympic boxing competition at the London 2012 games is what inspired Thibeault to strive for Olympic glory, said the boxer, who just signed on as an official ambassador for Vejii, the online marketplace for vegan and plant-based food products.

“Even though I’m favored for a medal, I don’t consider it my primary focus,” she explained. “My main focus is not the result. It’s to go there and perform well. The results will just come with it. It’s about being the best me I can be. If I can excel in my sport and use my voice as a platform for other positive things, I’ll say I’ve done everything I set out to do.”

Boxer wants to prove to the world you can get enough protein on a vegan diet

One of the issues Thibeault is most passionate about is the healthy and environmental benefits of reducing meat intake without suffering from any lack of dietary options – which is where she and Vejii found common ground. “I’m really excited about working with ShopVejii.com because I feel like a lot of our values align. I

She adds that she is working "to show people there’s an easy way to have plant-based options in their diets. It’s possible to have it all.

"My goal is to show people that they can still eat the dishes they love even if they switch to plant-based. You don’t have to eat rice broccoli and chicken every day to be healthy.”

"Tammara's commitment to her community, the planet, and her sport are truly inspiring. We are proud to align ourselves with athletes who align so well with our corporate mandate,” said Vejii CEO Kory Zelickson of bringing Thibeault aboard as their newest brand ambassador.

Thibeault says that beyond boxing she’s committed to making a difference wherever possible. She is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies with a minor in Spanish at Concordia University and will then go on to earn a master’s degree in architecture, specializing in sustainable housing.

“A lot of people see me as just a boxer, but my goal is to do humanitarian work in Central America and help with the housing crisis." She says she hopes her work will someday make a difference. "Everyone has to do their little parts. Even if we can convince people to try one vegetarian meal per week without changing their overall diets, it will go a long way.”