Katya Gorbacheva - 2024 Interview
Hey friends! I give interviews quite often, but didn't get into the habit of publishing them on my website. Maybe I should? Let me know what you think in the comments. Sometimes the authors use this material for their papers or books that come WAY LATER or aren't publicly released at all for whatever reason. So here goes the November 2024 interview!
What does veganism/vegetarianism mean to you?
I sincerely don’t understand how can a critically thinking adult help a dying bird on a side of the road then eat a beef kabob for lunch. Or a mother who struggled giving milk to her own children then eat yoghurt and support dairy industry that continues to rape and forcibly impregnate cows, kill their babies and take away the milk cows bodies produce for their calves who have been taken away.
We have a choice now. We don’t live in the medieval times where if you didn’t feed from the milk the village cow produced – you’d perish. In the majority of developed and developing countries (where you probably live if you’re reading this book) people have running water, basic education and healthcare available for the people.
The omnivore’s dilemma has become obsolete in 2024. Gen Z sees it. The rise of veganism in western countries has skyrocketed for the past few years. According to “Better Angles of Our Nature” by Steven Pinker – violence has continued to decline with each generation, and the trends prove it.
How long have you been vegan/vegetarian?
Since 2016 fall. I didn’t go vegan cold turkey – it took me a summer. I prioritized introduction of new plant based foods into my diet and making sure they become tasty staples. The animal based products “fall off” naturally once there is a solid replacement.
Which sport do you practice, and how long have you been training in this area without consuming animal products?
I’m a powerlifter nowadays. I’ve started my athletic career with bodybuilding: bikini in 2019 and figure in 2020. Sadly, 4 weeks out of stage competitions I was supposed to take part in got canceled due to Covid-19, and I gained weight and became strong again to compete in powerlifting a year later. Starting 2021 I’ve been taking 1st and 2nd places in NC and SC competitions, went to the USAPL raw nationals in 2022 and have been invited to compete on the largest vegan athletic team in the world: Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team. Won best lifter competing with the vegan team in 2023 and 2024.
Could you talk about some of your greatest achievements in sports?
I’m most proud of having been invited to compete on PlantBuilt Vegan Strong Team and winning best overall female lifter at USA Powerlifting North Carolina States Meet with 465 kg on the bar at 75 kg body weight. Looking forward to crush it in competitions as life goes on! I’m only 32, and life as a natural female vegan athlete is long! I’m also proud to be the living example of the compassionate high performing natural athlete.
Do you believe that a plant-based diet has helped your performance?
Maybe recovery. I’m not a huge proponent of assigning all my achievements to having been plant based. It’s correlation, not causation in most cases. Most folks who gain additional progress in their sport after having gone plant based do so because they also hire a coach, get on a more regimented training and eating routine, or ditch cigarettes and alcohol. I think we should go vegan for ethics and wait for the studies comparing vegan and omnivore / meat-focused athletes come out within the next decade, then come back to this question.
The last thing I want is for someone to read this book and gather a “pink glasses” view of a vegan diet to be a solution to all of their problems thing. It’s not. You can still be vegan and drink a handle of vodka while eating potato chips on the couch working from home, watching movies and porn all day, doing zero physical activity, social interactions, personal development and helping others. Does it make you healthy? A good person? A valuable contributor to solving the problems of society today? You can answer these questions yourself…
All I’m staying is – that avoiding products of animal cruelty in your lifestyle is not enough for yourself, the planet and the animals.
How has your athletic life changed since adopting a vegan diet?
It’s been harder to find connection points with other athletes on the food I eat and the reasons for continuing to train and compete. It can get hard sometimes, but there’s no doubt the animals have it harder. The motivation to continue to progress athletically comes from the desire to and show the world such progress is attainable with zero sacrifices.
Some folks get interested in trying tofu, faux meats and other products once they follow me on social media and learn that there’s nothing “scary” or “unnatural” in the foods I eat as a vegan athlete. On the other hand – the only GMO soy that’s made in the world is not for human consumption. So, if someone is afraid of GMOs and growth hormones – remember that animals get fed GMO soy and other GMO products as well as growth hormones, antibiotics and tons of medication their whole life.
Could you offer some nutritional advice for athletes?
Yes! I’ve collected years of experience training other people in my 2024 book - “The Vegan Powerlifting Guide by Katya Gorbacheva” – I collected all of my advice on nutrition, vegan lifting equipment as well as examples of my athletes’ regimen, diet and training who have succeeded building muscle, losing fat, adding kilos on the barbell. It’s available on amazon for digital download worldwide, or you can get it on veganpowerlifter.com 90 pages of the book also have my personal workout routines before the competitions, my grocery shopping list, vitamins and supplements I take and the studies corroborating the reasoning for choices cited in the end.
