Maddie McConnell
bodybuilder
Natural bodybuilder with wins including the WBNF Figure World Title.
Maddie is a natural bodybuilder competing in Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitbody categories. She has three Pro Cards with the WNBF (in those categories).
Success include the INBF Columbia Classic 2022 where she won the Open in Women’s Bodybuilding and in Figure. Maddie also entered the 2022 INBF Muscle Mayhem and won Women’s Bodybuilding and Fitbody. She also became WNBF Pro Figure Champion.
Entering the NPC Oregon State show she was up against competitors who were using steroids as it is not a tested event. Maddie still won to become State Figure Champion.
Continuing a busy year she entered the INBF Cecil Phillips Classic to win WNBF Pro in Fitbody and Women’s Bodybuilding. She then went on to become WNBF Monster Mash Figure Pro Champion.
“My favorite achievements in my sport were my NPC Oregon State Champion and WNBF World Champion wins” Maddie says. “I love proving to others that you can still be a highly competitive athlete and achieve a winning physique without the use of drugs or animal products.”
This is something she did emphatically. In November 2022 she won the WNBF Figure World Champion Title. Maddie describes this as her “greatest achievement”.
Vegan
In 2019 Maddie turned vegan, after meeting a bodybuilder we already feature on our site.
“When I first met Zachary Belknap, he had been vegan for several years and he had muscle, lots of it actually. I was so intrigued! How could a bodybuilder be plant based? How did he get his protein? What made him pursue a vegan lifestyle?”
“When he explained his rational for going plant based, it sounded logical. I then began doing my own research.”
Maddie was affected by what she discovered. A leading concern was that animal agriculture is destroying the planet. There were also ethical concerns.
“Animals are sentient beings with feelings and desires. They deserve love and respect just like you and I. Your pet is no different from a cow, pig, bird, fish etc. Animals do not wish to die, therefore killing animals is not humane.”
Maddie also found out more about health aspects.
“You do not need animal products to live a healthy life. In fact, you will likely be healthier without them! Consumption of animal products is associated with many cancers, heart disease, and diabetes. Populations with the longest life expectancies eat primarily plant based.”
“With this new knowledge, I was determined to eat plant based. Was I perfect in the beginning? Absolutely not. Learning anything new takes time. But going vegan, aligning my actions with my morals, was by far the best decision I’ve ever made, and I will never go back.”
Now she eats a high protein vegan foods.
“I eat a lot of tofu, seitan, tempeh, soy curls, banza pasta, legumes, and of course veggies! I also have a personal sized vegan protein brownie bowl almost nightly.”
This fuels an active lifestyle.
“I do resistance training five days a week and usually alternate between training my upper and lower body. I also walk my dogs several days a week, usually between 2-4 miles.”
Those involved with Maddie are supportive of her vegan choices, and it’s not seen as an issue.
The future
“As of right now, I plan to continue bodybuilding until it no longer brings me joy. I didn’t start bodybuilding because I wanted to win a title, I started because I was already lifting and loved the lifestyle. It made sense to channel my efforts towards something that I could also use as a learning experience to help future clients.
“I actually don’t enjoy being on stage very much. What I enjoy most is everything leading up to that moment – having a goal, the structure, watching my body transform, and meeting so many other competitors and coaches along the way who also share a passion for fitness.”
Instagram @maddie_vitalityfitness
Email: [email protected]
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