On this day in vegan history · June 17, 1980
Venus Williams Turns Raw Vegan to Outlast an Autoimmune Disease
Born in Lynwood, California, she became one of the most dominant players in tennis, then had to relearn how to eat just to keep walking onto the court.
The facts
- Born
- June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, California
- Diagnosis revealed
- September 2011, on withdrawing from the US Open
- Condition
- Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease
- Dietary response
- Adopted a raw vegan diet
Venus Williams was born on June 17, 1980, in Lynwood, California. In September 2011 she withdrew from the US Open two days after her first match in two months, telling the press she had just been diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own moisture-producing glands and can leave a person crushed by fatigue. She switched to a raw vegan diet in the years that followed, cutting out animal products and most cooked food, and said she took up the change for her health so she could keep performing on court. She went on to keep competing at the top level of professional tennis for roughly another decade.
In their words
The day in the words of the people who were there. Every quote is verbatim, and every source links out so you can check it.
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I started for health reasons. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and I wanted to maintain my performance on the court.
Venus Williams, on why she adopted a raw vegan diet
Source: Sports Illustrated
Why it still matters
One of the most visible athletes on earth showed, in real time, that a plant-based diet could be part of managing a serious chronic illness rather than just a lifestyle choice, and that it didn't have to end a career at the top of a punishing sport.
Sources
This history is still being written.
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