Vegan Strength: Why I Stand with Patrik Baboumian & Other German Plant-Powered Athletes

I’m Steve Pilot — born in Munich, trained as a paratrooper, and for the last 15 years I’ve lived and coached fully plant-based. For more than ten of those years I’ve been based in Thailand, helping people build muscle, confidence and resilience without animal products.

When people ask me whether a vegan can be a serious bodybuilder or strongman, I point to a simple map of proof.

Two names I always mention are Patrik Baboumian and Alexander Dargatz.

Patrik Baboumian is one of the clearest examples of plant-powered strength — world-class strongman results and public advocacy that removed the usual doubt around vegan strength. Read more about Patrik here: Patrik Baboumian – Wikipedia.

Alexander Dargatz shows the same truth in natural bodybuilding: a disciplined, science-minded athlete who chose vegan living early and delivered top competition results. See his profile here: Alexander Dargatz – Wikipedia (DE).

Sometimes people even bring up celebrities like Ryan Gosling when talking about plant-based living. While his exact diet isn’t always clear, his name often appears in articles about animal welfare and plant-based choices, which keeps the conversation alive in mainstream culture.

My point is simple: strength and compassion are not opposites — they belong together. And by telling these stories, from Patrik and Alexander to my own journey, we create a clearer picture of what it means to be a German vegan bodybuilder and a global advocate for plant-based performance.

— Steve Pilot