Introducing... BMX Rider, Russell Barone! August 14, 2008

Posted by Shannon Phillips at August 14, 2008 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

Who is Russell Barone? He's a 20 year old sponsored BMX rider, and even better? He's vegan! Check out what he has to say below about his vegan diet, cruelty to animals, and riding BMX. For more information, you can check him out on his blog. Enjoy! - Shan

Name: Russell Barone
Age: 20
Sponsors: Fit Bike Co, Fox Clothing Flow, Vans Flow, Long Island Bike Shop

1. How long have you been into riding? What got you started?
I've been riding for 13 years. What got me started was I used to play soccer and baseball but I didn't like all the rules. One day my next door neighbor did a jump on his bike and I fell in love with it. My mom brought me to a local racetrack and I raced for a few years, and then started to ride trails and skate parks. I built some jumps and ramps in my backyard and I would ride with my friends everyday.

2. Do you ride a lot, or do you keep yourself and your tricks confined to the tour?
I ride whenever I can. It is a meditation for me. It cleans my mind and refreshes me. Riding is a wonderful thing. Any type of riding, long distance, mountain biking, they're all fun. You get to see more of what's around rather than being in a car all the time. BMX is good for the kids growing up too because it gives them something to do and to work at getting better. I try to do tricks once in a while so I don't forget how to do it. I do what comes naturally to me and try not to push myself if I don't feel good about a certain trick.

3. How long have you been vegan? What got you started?
I stopped eating meat when I was 16 and started to embrace Rastafari and living more naturally. What got me started on being vegan was I didn't feel good after eating meals with meat or cheese. I felt tired and didn't have a lot of energy, like I was being weighed down. I also learned about all the hormones and antibiotics the animals are given thanks to the peta2 literature and documentaries. I just loved the idea of a plant based diet, getting all my food from the soil of the earth. It made me feel closer to nature, and I gained a whole new appreciation for eating and living.

4. What kind of feedback do you get from others about your vegan lifestyle?
"So... where do you get your protein from?" Ha, I always get that question. Sometimes people will ask about my health as If I'm doing something wrong, but obviously they don't know much about the food they're eating. I don't blame them though because a lot of people are stuck on thinking meat and milk is the best thing for you, and if you're not consuming it, then you're not healthy. Some people are curious, some are ignorant. I get a mix of responses.


5. What do you think about the way animals are treated on factory farms? Is that part of why you're vegan?
Yeah, it is part of why I'm vegan. Any animal that is kept in those little cages all their life can't possibly be healthy; therefore the meat or milk they produce can't be good for you. Another part of why I'm vegan is the feeling of living off a plant based diet. Why sacrifice the life of an animal when you can plant a seed and give new life.

6. Do you find it easy to be vegan, with the clothes and equipment you need to ride or be comfortable?
Well luckily I got hooked up with good sponsors like Fit bikes, Fox clothing, and Vans shoes and they all make really nice stuff that's animal free. Vans have a line of vegan shoes that are really good for riding. But being comfortable is definitely important.

7. You and Colonel Sanders, mano-a-mano. What happens?
I would stick him in the deep fryer. Ha j/k. I would reason with him about what he's feeding people and what he's doing to those poor chickens.


All photos courtesy of BMX Photographer, Keith Romanowski.