The Vegan Strong PlantBuilt natural bodybuilder says plant-based living helped transform his health and now carries him to bodybuilding’s most prestigious stage
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — For nearly three decades, Torre Washington has built his body without meat, dairy or eggs. Now, at 52, the vegan, natural bodybuilder is preparing for the biggest competition of his career: the 2026 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, where he will compete as part of the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team.
As an IFBB professional bodybuilder, Washington earned his Olympia qualification at the 2025 Ben Weider Naturals Pro, winning both the Open Masters and Masters 40 classes. That victory put him on course to become the first vegan bodybuilder to compete on the Olympia stage, a milestone that challenges one of strength sports’ most persistent assumptions: that building elite muscle requires animal protein. He will also be the second-oldest competitor ever on the Mr. Olympia stage, where the average competitor age is in the early 40s.
Washington has been vegan since 1998, when he was in his early 20s. He says the change affected far more than his physique. After struggling with asthma, Washington says his symptoms improved after adopting a vegan lifestyle, helping deepen a commitment that has now lasted nearly 30 years.
“I’ve spent most of my adult life showing what is possible when you train with purpose and live according to your values,” Washington said. “Making it to the Olympia stage at this point in my career is bigger than one contest. I want people to see that you can build strength, muscle and longevity without compromising what you believe in.”
His road to Las Vegas also makes Washington an outlier in a sport often associated with extreme diets and performance-enhancing drugs. He has built his career around natural bodybuilding, disciplined training, and plant-based nutrition, while coaching others to pursue their own strength and physique goals.
“Torre’s road from amateur to now IFBB Pro Champion and Mr. Olympian has been a journey of proving to people what is truly possible with relentless effort and determination,” said Cliff Wilson, Washington’s coach since 2018 and author of Becoming Unrivaled. “Winning open titles after 50 years old and being a top-tier bodybuilder, Torre has done both of those. He’s forced people to take notice with what he’s accomplished and how.”
The final weeks before Olympia will include intensive training, posing practice, tightly managed nutrition and recovery. Washington is available for interviews and visual media segments on his workout regimen, high-protein vegan meals, natural bodybuilding, competing after 50 and the mental discipline required to reach the Olympia stage.
The 2026 Olympia Weekend takes place Sept. 24–27 in Las Vegas. The official schedule lists Men’s Physique pre-judging for Saturday morning, Sept. 26, with the Saturday evening finals at the Orleans Arena.
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
