Portland’s vegan athlete earns three gold medals at IPF World Masters Championships following a potentially career-ending setback
PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Two years after a shoulder replacement threatened to end his competitive lifting career, Vegan Strong PlantBuilt athlete Ryan Stills became a six-time world champion, winning the Classic Masters 2 men’s 120-kilogram class at the International Powerlifting Federation World Masters Powerlifting Championships on Oct. 18 in Reno, Nevada. The Portland powerlifter earned gold in the squat, deadlift and combined total, along with bronze in the bench press. He also finished third in the M2 men’s best-lifter standings across weight classes and represented the United States on its gold-medal team.
Stills’ victory followed a shoulder hemiarthroplasty, or partial shoulder replacement where the ball is replaced, in 2024. For a competitive powerlifter whose sport places extraordinary demands on the shoulders, the procedure raised serious questions about whether he could return to the platform, let alone championship form.
“After consulting three doctors, I found one who believed I could return to championship form,” Stills said. “My vegan diet gave me the protein and energy I needed to rebuild strength and fuel rehab and training. Every bit of that work paid off on the world stage.”
Vegan since 2019, Stills brought his comeback to the world stage with a performance that tested both his strength and his perseverance. His bench press bronze was a particularly meaningful milestone following shoulder surgery.
Powerlifting consists of the squat, bench press and deadlift. Each athlete’s best successful attempt in the three lifts contributes to the combined total that determines the weight-class champion.
Stills’ sixth world title adds another chapter to a career defined by sustained competitive success and demonstrates the possibilities of plant-based athletic performance.
ABOUT VEGAN STRONG PLANTBUILT
Vegan Strong PlantBuilt is an international team of elite athletes competing in strength sports while demonstrating that world-class performance can be achieved on a plant-based diet. Its mission is to educate people that plant protein is better for health, performance, recovery and the planet.
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SOURCE Vegan Strong
