Seba Johnson
vegan from birth winter sports
Seba Johnson is a Winter Olympian who has represented The United States Virgin Islands in the Slalom event and also the Giant Slalom.
- Youngest alpine ski racer in Winter Olympic history
- Vegan since birth
- Double Winter Olympian
above: image credit – Jo-Anne McArthur/Unbound Project
She started skiing in her childhood and aged 14 competed in Calgary, Canada in the 1988 Winter Olympic games in the women’s Giant Slalom. In doing so she became the youngest alpine ski racer in Olympic history. She placed an impressive 28th out of 64 while competing against the world’s best adults. She was also the world’s first black woman to ski in the Olympics.
In 1989 Seba competed in the World Alpine Ski Championships in Vail-Beaver Creek, Colorado aged 15.
Three years later she competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics in France in the Slalom and Giant Slalom. She did not compete in the 1996 Winter Olympics in Norway through choice in response to Norway’s decision to resume whaling.
Seba has shown strength of character in dealing with abuse and harassment on racial grounds as a competitor in a sport traditionally contested by white people. She has received death threats and deliberate disruption of her training.
Vegan from the start
“I felt deeply for the animals at an early age.”
Seba was brought up vegan from birth and has never consumed any animal products.
“My mother became vegan in her early 20’s and promised herself to raise her kids vegan if she were to ever have children” Seba says. She respected her mother’s decision.
“I remember watching undercover investigation videos and reading the pamphlets that were mailed to the house when we were kids – I felt deeply for the animals at an early age.”
She is involved in education about the effects on health and animal welfare of eating animal products. Seba has also been disqualified from a race for refusing to wear a ski suit which included a piece of leather.
Following her retirement in 1992 she entered full time education and left with a degree in Fine Arts. She then spent time educating young people about health and animal welfare as well as bringing skiing to inner city Boston.
She has now started a career in film as an actor and also in modelling, and is a certified yoga instructor. Seba has also worked in Special Education.