Monumental Moment

This narrative is about my journey in becoming vegetarian. I have always cared for animals, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized the impact of eating meat in today’s society. I became more aware of how we were raising and killing animals, but even worse, how many we were killing.

In 2022, I decided to cut red meat out of my diet. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to become completely vegetarian. Because I am a long distance runner, I need the nutrients that are most commonly found in meats more than others. I knew it was possible to be a successful runner on a plant-based diet, but what I didn’t do was research how to get these nutrients in other ways. The consequence of this was me becoming anemic during my last season of high school track.

After I graduated high school, I began to worry. How was I going to run in college without eating meat? I was always told that if I wanted to be a successful long distance runner, I couldn’t be plant based, and that the only way to get the nutrients needed to run was through animals. How could I afford a healthy, plant-based diet? How would I learn to cook nutrient dense meals for myself in college? Would I be judged by my future teammates? So I started eating red meat again, and I continued to feel bad about it. During my first year of college, I became even more passionate about protecting living things and the environment. This is when I decided that it was time I stopped eating meat for good. I researched, met with a dietician, talked to my doctor, and tried out many different recipes. I figured it out. And I am so happy I did. I now feel confident in what I am eating, feel great running, and know that my decision is saving the lives of animals. I am not perfect, and you don’t have to be either to make a difference. Living consciously with animals and the environment in mind goes a long way.

These photos are a mixture of reasonings for me becoming vegetarian, but also the hardships I had to face and the sacrifices I make in choosing to live this way.