‘Super Steve’: Malta’s Vegan Champion Boxer Is Only Getting Better After Switching To World Of Plant-Based Diets
We’re all familiar with the debate on plant-based diets and many are still unsure if it’s even possible to be vegan and a top athlete. Well, one Maltese athlete recently made the switch to veganism and he’s proving to be more deadly than ever.
‘Super’ Steve Martin is a name within the boxing community many will be familiar with. The Maltese boxer has an impressive fighting resume topped off with a World Champion title.
… but now he can add Maltese Vegan Champion Boxer to that list.
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The Maltese champion recently made a switch to the veganism lifestyle, a daring and bold move for any athlete, but especially a boxer who reliance on a militant and regimented diet to perform. However, it appears that switching to his plant-based diet hasn’t slowed the fighter down in the slightest.
“At first I thought it was going to struggle because I was a huge meat lover but I’m actually enjoying being a vegan,” the WBU Light Welterweight International titleholder told Lovin Malta.
Super Steve switched to a vegan diet four months ago after he was encouraged to watch ‘The Game Changers’ by a friend, a documentary about the benefits of plant-based eating for athletes.
“I found it interesting so I kept on searching and watched other similar documentaries such as What The Health and one day decided to give it a go!”
Whereas some might debate the benefits of a vegan diet for an athlete, Malta’s boxing champion has only become more efficient after his switch, both in the lead up to and in a fight.
“Training has practically remained the same but I feel more energised and recover better after my workouts… I’m making weight better going into my fights and that’s a big relief. We all know a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter!”
Super Steve has been a dangerous fighter for a while now, proven once again in his first bout as a vegan boxer last weekend at the Gozo Sports Complex, where he made quick work of his opponent.
But perhaps the biggest question mark for athletes looking to go vegan is where they will get their protein from which according to Steve actually isn’t that hard.
“I’m eating more variety of foods now then I used to before. It’s really easy to get your nutrition being a vegan and I get all my protein from beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, tofu, and nuts.”
“Life as a vegan is easy nowadays because almost every supermarket has vegan products. As for restaurants, there is room for improvement.”
The switch to veganism has undoubtedly been surprisingly easy and super beneficial in more ways than for Super Steve but the Maltese champion is quick to remind aspiring boxers that at the end of the day it’s all about blood, sweat and tears.
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“Fighting won’t improve by food, it improves from knowledge and experience.”
And for those who doubt that vegans can be fighters, Super Steve has one cheeky remark for you…
‘Get your tickets and come watch me fight!’
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