Brittany Billings
powerlifter strong vegan
Brittany is an accomplished powerlifter with a long list of state and national wins. As of 2026 she has five State records and has made the podium Nationally.
- Broken all 82.5kg Submaster Indiana State records
- Open State Deadlift record
- 197.5 kg raw deadlift at 82.5 kg
They include submasters titles at the Florida state and national championships. Competing in the raw sub 82.5 kg category her personal bests include a squat of 147.5 kg, a bench of 87.5 kg and a deadlift of 197.5 kg.
Her enthusiasm for the sport is obvious and she relishes her hard-won successes.
“My greatest achievements so far are holding an Open State record for Deadlift and placing 3rd in Open at USPA Ultra Nationals 2026, both done as a Submaster” she says. “I currently hold all the 82.5kg Submaster Indiana State records, but I am especially proud of being 39 and still holding my own in the Open category.
“My favourite achievement was when I got the Deadlift Open State record at USPA Nationals in 2025. I was the last lifter on the platform that day and the crowd was amazing. It was one of those moments where I felt like there was no way I was going to fail.”
Vegan Power
“I stopped consuming all animal products that day and never looked back.”
All these accomplishments have been attained years after turning vegan, which Brittany did in 2016.
“I was vegetarian before going vegan and have always been a huge animal lover but was pretty ignorant when it came to the dairy industry” she explains. “As an endurance athlete at the time, I began looking into diets to best fuel my body. Suggestions of a plant-based diet came up, so I began researching. It didn’t take me long to connect the dots and realize that by consuming dairy, I was supporting animal exploitation and abuse.
“The final and most defining moment for the start of my vegan journey was watching Earthlings. I was able to watch about 15 minutes of it, which was enough for me. I stopped consuming all animal products that day and never looked back.”
Travelling is not an issue and veganism is something she adheres to 100%, saying “I do not view animal products as food so I do not and would not consume them.”
Like many vegans, Brittany enjoys food and does not feel restricted.
“I try to keep a balance of processed/unprocessed foods, since that is what works best for my goals and schedule. I eat a lot of vegan Greek style yogurt, fruits, tofu, seitan, and whatever grain I am feeling. For snacks, I love jerky, bars, and veggies.
“I also like meat substitutes and use those out of convenience. At the end of the day, I am vegan for the animals. If I can support the minimization of factory farming while getting enough protein to show people you can be strong on a vegan diet while staying healthy, I am going to consume whatever fits into my lifestyle the best to do so.”
This has to fuel her demanding schedule, and there are no issues there.
Training through every challenge
“Squat, bench, and deadlift and some type of variation of those make up the majority of my training. I do accessories outside of that and have been working on my mobility quite a bit lately.
“My coach will switch up my program based on where I want to see improvement and what she knows I need to work on. I think anyone who has competed in Powerlifting for more than a few years will tell you that there is always something new to work on, whether it is a plateau, a sticking point, or a mild irritation of some body part. I’m constantly working to balance and overcome those things, which has kept the sport exciting for me.”
Brittany is coached by Dani Taylor, who is also vegan, so there is no scepticism from that direction.
“Nobody I’ve trained with has seen me being vegan as a big issue” she says. “More than anything, they are intrigued or want to know the type of things I am eating. I’m always happy to give tips and guidance in a welcoming way. After all, I once was not a vegan and you don’t know what you don’t know.
“The best way I can help the animals is to let my results speak for themselves so there is no question, and kindly guide people to open their eyes, little-by-little. I’ve had several people come up to me weeks, or even months later and tell me about something vegan they ate or a change they made to reduce animal products, which lets me know I planted the right seed.”
More to come!
As of June 2026 Brittany’s Open Powerlifting record included sixteen wins as well as impressive personal bests. The progression- particularly of the squat – over the last four years has been impressive. However, Brittany’s commitment as she approaches Masters categories invites the belief that she is far from finished in the sport.
“My hope is to continue powerlifting for as long as possible” she says. “As long as I take care of my body and train consistently, I will be able to hit all of my goals. Sure, I have some National records and major meet wins in the back of my mind, but I truly just want to get as strong as possible to show people that you do not need animal products to do so.”
“I grew up as a soccer player and played throughout college. After college, I became an endurance athlete and finished multiple marathons, two ultra marathons, a half Ironman, and several Tough Mudders. I completed many races as a vegan and attribute my diet to the drastic improvement in recovery time I experienced.
“As a vegan, I competed in bodybuilding and won two 1st places (Figure and Physique) and gained two Pro Cards. I also began Powerlifting and to-date, have many 1st place finishes, a Best Lifter award, hold 5 IN State Records, and recently finished 3rd place at USPA Nationals in the Open Division as a 39-year-old.
“The majority of my muscle has been gained as a vegan and there is no question that a vegan diet is, at the very least, nutritionally equivalent to a non-vegan diet. If you put the time in to make sure you are eating the correct amount of food (as someone focused on making strength gains would do with any diet), you can absolutely reach your strength goals on a vegan diet.”