At Toronto’s Vegetarian Food Festival this past weekend, Iranian-born, Armenian-German strongman competitor, psychologist and former bodybuilder Patrik Baboumian not only made history with his record-breaking carry of 550 kilograms (1212.54 pounds) over ten meters (32.8 feet), but also defied stereotypes when he let out the words, “Vegan power” with a roar.
The 34-year-old already holds world records for log lifts in the 105k-category (165 kg), as well as the German heavyweight loglift record (185 kg) and the title of “Strongest Man of Germany.” He will now add “heaviest yoke carry traveling 10 meters” to the list after Guinness World Records verifies the feat. According to Toronto’s festival organizers, Baboumian shouldered the heaviest load ever, one that is equivalent to a large horse.
“It’s a bit stupid to do things like that, it really hurts,” Baboumian said to the festival audience, as reported by the Toronto Star. “But, the point is to inspire people and break stereotypes that tough guys need to eat a lot of meat.”
“I just realized that if it’s really compassion that drives you, maybe it’s not enough just to stop eating animals but you maybe should boycott the whole animal industry, because … it’s not what you as a compassionate being would want. So actually you should go one step further and become vegan,” said Baboumian.
Baboumian became a vegetarian in 2006 and in 2011 turned to a vegan diet after being named Germany’s strongest man (he immigrated to Germany from Iran with his family at the age of seven).
Wondering what he eats? According to Baboumian, he makes sure his body gets all three macro-nutrients in feasible amounts, but since protein is a key factor for the development of the type of body that is needed to be able to endure the grueling events he faces as a strongman, he relies on soy-milk, soy-protein-powder, tofu, nuts and beans as his main sources of protein. To get the energy he needs for his daily training sessions, he uses carb-heavy foods like rice, potato, oats and lots of fruits and greens and vegetables. In addition, to ensure he consumes the right amount of calories to gain weight and maintain the development of physical strength Baboumian relies on shakes and smoothies to get a lot of his calories in liquid form.
After his record-breaking lift, he was joined on stage for a Q&A session with other plant-powered athletes, including retired UFC champion James Wilks, former NHL player Georges Laraque and marathon superstar Rich Roll. A fitting celebration to a grand achievement.
Image source: David Cooper / Toronto Star
Must be nice to break any record, but just because you don\’t eat meat does not mean you ain\’t juicing. And just because you eat meat and juice, does not mean that you can break records…but just a thought.
Give this man some steaks, chicken, bacon and eggs, and he\’ll have a huge jump in strength and add a couple hundred lbs or hundred kg to all his records.
so, Compassion does not extend to the plants?
is he saying plants have no feelings?
That is hypocritical, just because humans cannot understand the pain or hear the plant scream, that makes it ok to Kill them for food, but not an animal?
I would give him respect if he consumed only foods that were never alive, such as milk and unfertilized eggs.
Compassion indeed!
Dude..please get some therapy quickly!!!!
Dear Mr. Doe,
I really hope that you are not asking this out of seriousness or even a minor chance of having a bit of compassion. First of all, compassion extends to all sentient beings, those with feelings, becasue in our capacity to feel we are all the same. Second, plants do not have a nervous system, therefore they can not psysiologically feel. So, if you are looking for an excuse to eat animals, there is none, we live in a day where we have the advantage of eating everything from the earth. You are correct, milk and eggs are not alive, but the suffering caused to obrtain them is certainly not compassionate. Peace to you…
Are you serious? You eat animals, yet you\’re concerned about the suffering of non-sentient life? They do not suffer! And you\’re \’argument\’ is completely invalid, since more plants are \’murdered\’ to feed the animals that you then unnecessarily eat. By the way, vegans are not concerned about the suffering of eggs and milk. Get real! We don\’t consume them because of the suffering the hens are put through, being made to produce over 10x the amount of eggs they would in nature (resulting in fatal reproductive conditions), male chicks being ground up alive or suffocated to death as they are \’unnecessary\’ to the industry, de-beaking without anaesthetic, the chickens being confined their entire lives and killed when they are no longer profitable, the fact that female cows are impregnated against their will time and time again, only to have each of her calves torn away from her, so that we can drink their milk instead, that her body is manipulated to produce unnatural levels of milk, leading to infection and malnutrition, that they are killed when they can no longer produce enough breast milk, that veal calves are fed nutrient deprived formulas to create anemia and make their flesh pale, and muscles weak, resulting in muscle atrophy, infection, and illness, that majority of male calves are killed within the first few months of life and made into veal, and the fact that the female calves are forced to follow in the footsteps of their mothers, and be killed when they can no longer fulfill their \’purpose\’ for the dairy industry. Their only value being what their bodies can produce… and all of this suffering for your own selfish pleasures. Shall I go on?
Plants don\’t need to be killed to supply us with food. That is the difference. For example, fruits are the reproductive part of a plant, one can harvest leaves without harming the plant, roots can be harvested and parts replanted to grow the plant again. Plants are very different from animals and that makes all the difference. Now, when they grow meat in a dish, then meat will be a moral choice, currently it is not.
Meat is murder and the meat industry a holocaust. People do not need it to sustain life or health and as we consider ourselves moral, we are obligated to end meat eating. Plants are the compassionate and moral choice.