Vegetarian Action
Jane Black: Champion Weightlifter and Vegan Activist
By Davida Gypsy Breier
Jane Black has set numerous Master's National and World records in weightlifting,
and in the process has shattered the stereotype of the "frail vegan."
In 1983, she met John Coffee, a gym owner interested in establishing a women's
Olympic weightlifting team to participate in national competitions. The first
women's weightlifting nationals had been held the previous year. Jane passed
Joe's screening test and three months later competed in her first national meet.
At the age of 31, she placed 5th, and her team won the women's title.
Jane became a vegan in 1990. She had been open to the idea, and was further
influenced by her girlfriend, Stephanie Miller, an animal artist who has been
vegan for more than 25 years. Jane says that, "
for me, reading literature
on the dairy industry produced more disgust than killing an animal outright.
To me, the dairy industry, coupled with the veal industry, is one of the most
embarrassing things human beings participate in." She expresses a great
love for animals and shares her home with her best friend Colleene, a 10-year-old
tri-colored collie. Jane believes, "If I am anything of worth for this
earth, it is to be nice to other animals."
Of her many Master's National and World records Jane explains, "Since the
official weight categories have been changed a couple of times, the world records
I hold can never be broken
The last time I competed in the Master's World
Weightlifting Championships, in Canada in 1996, I won my class and received
the Best Lifter trophy for my age group, 40-44." Her personal record competitive
lifts are a 65 kilo (143 lb.) snatch and an 82.5 kilo (181½ lb.) clean
and jerk. At 47, Jane hopes to go to Glasgow, Scotland to compete in the Master's
Weight-lifting World Championships. Jane continues, "I am currently ranked
as number one on the US Women's National Team. I plan to do well, and I hope,
set records and win a best lifter award. As my heritage is Scottish, I have
always dreamed of going there, and this seems like a perfect reason." (Unfortunately,
she suffered a back injury in mid-June and it was unclear at press time if she
would be able to compete.)
Working through The Vegetarian Resource Group, Jane has been helping other athletes
interested in becoming vegan or vegetarian. For the past two years, inquiries
regarding weightlifting and related sports have been referred to her. She enthusiastically
answers questions and discusses her experiences as a vegan competitive athlete,
offering another voice to counter dietary myths and similar misconceptions facing
athletes.
Many athletes are concerned about adequate protein intake. Explaining her experiences,
Jane says, "According to various elite weightlifting coaches, the protein
requirement for a highly competitive weightlifter is 2 to 2½ grams per
kilo of bodyweight. If I adhered to that, I would be eating about 150 or so
grams of protein, which I feel is ridiculous. I eat probably about 60-75. I
have never had a problem building strength. The variables for strength building
vary greatly for individuals-genetics, general state of health, and training
program. All of these factors and more must be monitored ongoingly if a person
wants to take on a sport, or build strength or explosive power, which Olympic
lifting is all about. I fully believe that a person can be incredibly strong
as a vegan. If you are going for a bodybuilder 'look,' i.e., extreme hypertrophy,
low body fat, a vegan diet will have its drawbacks, but then I would challenge
you to ask yourself why that is important to you. Most of the pictures of contest-ready
bodybuilders on popular magazines [used] a ton of unnatural and pathological
dietary practices to achieve that look."
As for her diet Jane says, "I do not organize my diet around protein content.
Tofu is on the scene with great regularity. I am not a big salad person. For
grains, organic brown rice leads the way. I try to vary vegetables. I guess
if there is one thing I try to do more than anything it is to include a dark
green leafy vegetable once a day or so. I love Boca Burgers, which are great
if you want protein, low in fat, and carbohydrates. Apples are the main fruit
I eat. I do drink a lot of water."
Non-leather shoes and accessories are another concern for vegan and vegetarian
athletes in many sports. The Vegetarian Resource Group publishes "A Shopper's
Guide To Leather Alternatives" to help consumers find other options. The
guide includes information on non-leather running shoes and baseball gloves,
and the next update will include information on vegan bowling shoes. Jane has
not been able to find non-leather weightlifting shoes, commenting, "
when I started lifting I used leather weightlifting shoes. Shoes designed specifically
for weightlifting are surprisingly important to balance and stability. Three
years ago, I ritualistically buried my Italian weightlifting shoes and belt
and began to train in non-leather shoes, non-weightlifting shoes also. Six months
ago, after a persistent foot problem, I made the decision to train in lifting
shoes that contain leather. There is no synthetic shoe available. Adidas, which
supplies more weightlifting shoes than any other manufacturer, has not produced
a vegan-friendly model. Although I am not happy about my choices, this sport
has been a big part of my life for many years, and I feel that I do good in
the world representing a vegan lifestyle as a strength athlete. I mean, somebody's
got to do it, and it might as well be me! I encourage everyone who reads this
article to write Adidas and express your interest in the production of a non-leather
lifting shoe."
Currently Jane is in the process of publishing her first novel. This multitalented
woman also enjoys playing the drums. We wish her a full and speedy recovery
and hope she makes it to the Master's Weightlifting World Championships in Scotland!
If you would like to contact Adidas to persuade them to consider producing a
non-leather weightlifting shoe, their toll-free number is 1-(800)-448-1796.
You can also email them at consumer.relations@adidas.us.com. For more information
on A Shopper's Guide to Leather Alternatives visit our guide on the VRG website
or see the catalog.
Excerpts from the Jan/Feb Issue