8 Eco-Friendly U.S. Olympians

Above: Gwen Jorgensen, U.S. Triathlon Runner

By Bonnie Alter, TreeHugger

It’s the Olympics: people you have never heard of in your life suddenly become everyday names. Several of the young American hopefuls are involved in environmental issues as well as Olympic ones.

Let’s hear it for Elizabeth “Betsey” Armstrong of USA Water Polo. She is involved in two environmental groups: Save the Whales and Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica Bay group; great choices because of her game. She is also involved in literacy issues.

Sarah Robles of USA Weightlifting is involved with Recycle Rex, which is a recycling organization in California.

Natalie Coughlin, already a two-time Gold medal winner in swimming, has an organic garden, composts and eats seasonally. Obviously a winner. Not only does she garden, she also raises chickens. She explains:

“Gardening is important to me because it allows me to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that I can’t otherwise get at the market. I have an entire bed dedicated for kale and another for herbs. It also saves me money at the grocery store.”

As for the others, the cyclists know how to get ahead. Arielle Martin, a cyclist, buys eco-friendly and Dotsie Bausch is a serious recycler as well.

Scott Jurek is a vegan and here’s his pre-race meal: 2 servings tempeh tacos with corn tortillas, brown or white rice, 85 grams vegan dark chocolate.

Gwen Jorgensen, on the Triathalon team, is a big recycler too.

American soccer player Abby Wambach says her go-to health foods are quinoa, sushi and Brussels sprouts.

So watch for these names and see if being green helps an athlete go Gold.

Photo Credit: MartinPutz [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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Silas G.

11:21AM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

I'm not sure those things will have any particular bearing on their winning or losing their events, but it is good to know that some Olympians are using the status granted to them by that position to advance environmental causes.