Greg Shimizu has been an established member of the Canadian triathlon team for years as well as enjoying individual success at all levels including World Championships.
- 2025 National Cross Triathlon AG Champion
- Eighteen time World Championship competitor
- Multiple wins and podiums in a variety of formats
Over the years 2003-2024 he represented his country 18 times at World Championship events. These included Triathlon Sprint, Olympic, Long Distance, Aquathon and Team Relay.
He’s been competing for years and recently found fantastic form, although he has fond memories of winning his age group (40-49) and finishing 4th overall in the 2005 Oilman Half Iron Triathlon.
In 2024 he was the only World National Team Athlete to qualify and achieve all three finishes in 60-64 division 2024 Triathlon World Championships – Sprint, Olympic and Long Course.
Between 2023 and September 2025 he made the podium in each of 13 events aside from one where a mechanical issue affected his bike. Six of these were wins.
In 2023 Greg took third in the Calgary Ironman (55-59 age group), and 2nd in both the BC Provincial Ironman 70.3 and AB Provincial Ironman 70.3.
2025’s successes included the Edmonton Marathon ‘Events’ Challenge, which involved racing a 10km after running a half marathon. This was an overall win at age 61.
Greg also took 5th in the Canadian Half Marathon (60-64) and 2nd in the 10km.
His 2nd place at the Calgary 70.3 (60-64) qualified him for the 2026 World Championships, and he was also 2nd (first Canadian) at the Victoria Ironman 70.3 (60-64).
Greg also took three wins at Provincial level – Indoor Triathlon, Duathlon and Aquathon. The last of these qualified him for the Canadian Team again, and a place at the World Championships 2026.
Winning the Canadian National Cross Triathlon, Greg took #1 in the National rankings and booked another place in the national team.
Driven to national success
Catching up with Greg in September 2025, Greg had just won his division title as National Cross Triathlon Champion for 60-69. “This was even though I crashed and have smashed ribs” he told us. “I was not that tired so I did my 21k Victory run when I got home in 26C heat.”
“I am trained up but I also feel being vegan somehow just adds to my durability and has made me intensely strong as an endurance athlete.”
These successes came after Greg took up triathlon late – at age 35. This was five years after turning vegan.
“I became quite good quite quickly but it’s a very hard sport to podium in as others have years of experience” he says. “I have always been happy to win my age group or just podium.”
“I have always been a vegan athlete; more importantly I am super happy to tell people I was vegan when I hit the Podium or came in 1st in my division. Many Local races over the years I won my age group in Sprint, Olympic or Half Ironman Distance as well as placing top ten overall. I always promoted that I was a ‘Vegan Triathlete’”.
Finding vegan
“Being vegan is so simple and encourages the most positive beneficial effects on the planet, society and the individual every single day”
Greg turned vegan in 1994, although he ate vegetarian a lot in his youth.
“Currently we have an unhealthy planet , an unhealthy population and constant economic disasters that are circular” Greg says. “These are brought on by among other things, what is called climate change but really ‘pollution change’ – and the carnivore industry contributes heavily to the pollution change. This is all why I went vegan.”
“I could tell it was not only what my body was telling me to do for me, it was also the most rational, and fully reasonable thing to do to go vegan and that was in the 1990s. Today there is so much more science and information: general climate, factory farming, and human anatomy-longevity that just makes clear logical, ethical and conscious sense.”
Greg likes including interesting foods in his diet.
“Being half Japanese I am comfortable with all Asian cuisine such as tofu and rice. I also love potatoes. I tend to call things ‘brown food’ chips, French fries, bread, snacks, rice crackers all these carb foods. As a triathlete I do find myself eating too many carbs.
“Being Japanese I grew up on Tofu so that and soya beans has been a staple for me to eat. As well, growing up on Japanese food as my traditional food it had no dairy so going vegan was quite easy for me and focusing on a vegan diet I feel was quite easy. Rice and any kinds of beans has always been a super favorite of mine.”
A massive setback
Things have not always gone to plan and in 2012 Greg was involved in an accident which caused major concussion and body injury. A head-on collision with a van while training on his bike left him unable to work for four years.
“It took about nine years of constant training to try to get my training going with no success. Then finally in 2022 with new meds I was able to really push my abilities beyond my dreams and do more than I have even done in triathlon.
“From 2014 to 2021 all I could do was train a little bit and only sprint triathlons. Never more than I session a day and not ‘serious’ training. I was able to compete well in sprint but not effectively.”
In 2021-2 a change in medication enabled Greg to progress, and his performance rocketed.
“I pushed so hard and won because I needed to overcome my ‘disability’ and I always want to show how good I can be as a vegan. No one can see either of these two things about me when I come across the finish line. These are not limiters either. I am successful at training because of being vegan and honestly the ‘pain misery and suffering’ from past triathlon training sort of got me through the pain, misery and suffering of the injury.
“I push so hard. I am trying to ‘catch up’ it takes years and years of training to be really good; but I feel one of my superpowers has been my longtime vegan diet that has built up a resilience and durability in me. Instead of pounding my body with a non-vegan diet I gave it 30+ years of solid foundation to achieve very quick results in such a short timeframe going from sprint to Long Course triathlon and 70.3 success in record time at a very considerable age category – really unheard of.”
“I attribute overcoming this to the human spirit and having a strong healthy system with the foundation built on now a 30+ years vegan body.”
Unsurprisingly given Greg’s success, his coach and supporting professionals are not concerned by his veganism.
“I have one of the most high level coaches you can get from the best top tier triathlon companies in the world (Endure IQ). Nutrition is the cornerstone to the success of any athlete. Being vegan actually seems the most logical and scientific choice for me to succeed at my level.”
“No one has ever challenged me or argued with me. But I am also not promoting the cause or saying anything about justifying it I think because I look so strong and healthy no one questions me. Maybe because I am a high level athlete no one says anything.”
Greg feels he has plenty to achieve and to motivate him.
A bright future
“At 61 [in 2025] I continue to train and race. I missed Nationals and Long course qualifiers due to life issues and time conflicts. But I might catch more upcoming races. but I never take the racing too serious and I really do all of this for fun.”
“I do like to do well to showcase how well I can do being an older person AND being vegan for 30+ years. A future important focus will be the 2026 season to qualify for the 2027 World Championship for Long Distance (along with Aquathon, and Duathlon and Cross Triathlon) as the race will be held in Edmonton Alberta my home city. I hope to get a Canadian Ranking of 1 in the Marathon before year end but we will see.”
“I may do more 70.3 and take on full Ironman in the next 6 months to Year. Triathlon is very competitive and Americans train year round in their climate. I still work full time and also have many other time conflicts. I do want to further showcase the Vegan Athlete as best I can so I hope to achieve further success.”
“I still deal with daily constant injury symptoms. I think that the vegan diet is just the most obvious choice for any successful outcome with any health issue. Having a ‘clean diet’ will always be the best logical choice. Everyone says they ‘eat well’ I kinda laugh at that. Fruits and vegetables is a huge start.
“I love being a super elite athlete burning 3000 calories to sometimes 4500 to 5000 a day training and racing. Replacing that with good clean fuel just makes sense. My body runs so much better than being clogged up as in my youth. People cannot believe I will go run a 21km victory run the day after I Podium an Ironman 70.3 race. I find it easy for me and I am 61 but ‘hey I’m vegan’ I say.
“And when I do the 21km my pace is a fast 5:15 and my HR is low 132 for me its just a recovery run.”
Eating clean
“The reality is good clean food is life’s secret power in so many ways, it’s good for the planet, good for society, good for the economy. For me the simple smell of an orange or the taste of fresh corn or peas. The sweetness of a good apple – it’s all super food and super fuel. I have always loved the simple potato that definitely carbo loads me much better than reconstituted ‘wheat’ (aka pasta).”
“You cannot expect the human organic machine to function well with corrupted fuel. I know in my mind morally how devastatingly imperfect humans are but I have a choice and realize now my life before was not as good as I can make it as a vegan I am making it so much better.”
“What comes next is the opportunity to see who is ready, and remember ready is not a feeling it is a decision. So who is ready to go vegan?”
Positive effects
“Life can be so simple people make it complex and like we all do shield ourselves from what we don’t want to see. We all still have barriers and boundaries, I merely pulled the walls down on one huge area and finally was ready to put my humanity ahead of politics, religion, society, and many other belief structures that one may use to ground their identity and way of life. Being vegan is so simple and encourages the most positive beneficial effects on the planet, society and the individual every single day, a heck of a lot better than just recycling that pop bottle or eating another burger.
“We will all get old and die, I don’t really understand why people want to ‘enjoy’ a longer life doing things that are bad for the planet, unhealthy eating? And what will they do with that time? Continue to pollute themselves, the planet and society? Being vegan is one the most advanced yet simplest ways to have a wonderful life a peaceful society and a beautiful planet.”