Torre Washington Becomes the First Known Natural Vegan to Compete at Mr. Olympia, at 52

Torre Washington has made bodybuilding history in Las Vegas, becoming the first known natural vegan to compete at Mr. Olympia. He stepped on stage in Men's Physique at the age of 52.

Washington earned his place by winning two classes at the Ben Weider Natural Pro last November. Natural means drug-tested: he competed with a blood test showing he's free of anabolic steroids, which makes him a rare figure at the Olympia. Great Vegan Athletes calls it a first for a natural vegan bodybuilder at the sport's most prestigious event.

Going into the show he told Generation Iron what it meant to him:

Now I am stepping onto the Mr. Olympia stage as living proof that you can be fully vegan, all natural, steroid-free, and still stand with the best in the world.

He's been vegan since 1998. Inspired by his Rastafarian roots, he wanted to live closer to nature, and his reasons are simple. "I don't need to end the life of a sentient being in order to get nutrition," he told Plant Based News. He says eating this way "has been helpful with my recovery and being able to eat a variety of foods without feeling restricted."

Twenty-eight years of plant-based bodybuilding, and he ends up on the biggest stage in the sport. "Making it to the Olympia stage at this point in my career is bigger than one contest," he told Plant Based News.

We reported last year when Washington qualified for Mr. Olympia. Plant-based bodybuilders have been winning for a long time: in 2024 Team PlantBuilt won 48 golds at Mr. America, and back in 2016 two vegans won first place at the WABBA Amateur Grand Prix.

Natural, vegan and on the Olympia stage. No meat, no problem.