Long gone are the days when “vegan” was synonymous with “weakling” to the public mind. Thanks to some excellent examples who are creating new associations to veganism, such as accomplished ultra-endurance competitor Rich Roll to yogini and activist Seane Corn, famed strongman Patrik Baboumian to award-winning senior runner and coach Ellen Jaffe Jones, illusions are shattering left and right that you cannot be a vegan and a star athlete. One such individual who is helping to create new associations with veganism from the fitness realm is Alex Ciccone of Ciccone Fitness. A fitness coach and strength trainer based in Toronto, Alex is a first generation Canadian (his parents are from Italy) and will be featured in the March-April edition of Vegan Health and Fitness magazine. As a vegan activist, Alex uses his platform as a fitness expert to help bust myths about “the scrawny vegan” while educating people about the often hidden reality of animal agribusiness. You can find Alex on Instagram and Twitter and you can subscribe to Ciccone Fitness via the website to receive fitness tips, recipes, training pointers and more. I am proud to feature Alex Ciccone as this week’s Vegan Rockstar.
1.
First of all, we’d love to hear your “vegan evolution” story. How did you start
out? Did you have any early influences or experiences as a young person that in
retrospect helped to pave your path?
I was born in Canada to Italian immigrants, and
due to cultural “norms” I would have to say that I was definitely the furthest
thing from veganism at birth. Yep, you know Italian staples like veal, fish,
lamb, lasagna, pizza – the list goes on and on. Looking back I think yikesss!,
but it was the reality of the situation. Vegetarianism nor veganism didn’t
seriously cross my mind until I was well into my early 20s. However, I do
believe it was the small, but impactful influences throughout my life that
amounted and lead me to realize that going vegan was the right and absolute
only choice for me.
I personally feel the very first glimpse of my future in becoming vegan started under the age of 10 with my refusal of the traditional Italian meal of rabbit. I just couldn’t wrap my head around eating a cute fluffy bunny. Every time the dish would be prepared I would tell my parents “No! A bunny is not food!”
My bond with pets has been a very strong one for as long as I can remember. Growing up we had birds, dogs, fish, even lizards. Although today I disagree with the domestication of certain species of animals, these experiences throughout my childhood were invaluable. These were loyal, intelligent, unconditional loving creatures that I cared for very much and learnt many life lessons from. This coupled with a love for Disney and other animated movies starring animals such as, 101 Dalmatians, Lion King, Rescuers, All Dogs Go To Heaven, Land Before Time – I think it’s safe to say these were significant moments and a major part of the foundation for my transition to veganism down the road.
I personally feel the very first glimpse of my future in becoming vegan started under the age of 10 with my refusal of the traditional Italian meal of rabbit. I just couldn’t wrap my head around eating a cute fluffy bunny. Every time the dish would be prepared I would tell my parents “No! A bunny is not food!”
My bond with pets has been a very strong one for as long as I can remember. Growing up we had birds, dogs, fish, even lizards. Although today I disagree with the domestication of certain species of animals, these experiences throughout my childhood were invaluable. These were loyal, intelligent, unconditional loving creatures that I cared for very much and learnt many life lessons from. This coupled with a love for Disney and other animated movies starring animals such as, 101 Dalmatians, Lion King, Rescuers, All Dogs Go To Heaven, Land Before Time – I think it’s safe to say these were significant moments and a major part of the foundation for my transition to veganism down the road.
I was also a provincial level soccer player
growing up, so my love for physical activity began at a young age. Strength
training ended up becoming an absolute passion of mine and led to a career as a
personal training specialist. In order to meet nutritional goals to support my
training, particularly protein, I did rely heavily on animal based products.
Let’s just say the amount of meat and dairy I was consuming during my first few
years of training was absurd and finally struck a nerve. It got me thinking a
bit more about the process and where my food was actually coming from. I turned
to those typical misnomers… is it healthy, organic, “humanely” raised/slaughtered?
Once I started digging, there was no turning back. The disconnect was no longer
and the horrors that I was seeing and hearing just did not sit right. It was a
slow and steady process making the decision to go vegetarian first and then
onto veganism (now going on 3+ years).
Unfortunately protein over the years has become
synonymous with animal flesh or certain animal products such as dairy and eggs.
Billions of animals are at the mercy of these suggestions every year and suffer
a fate that no one would even wish on their worst enemy. Once getting into the
fitness space as a vegan I would constantly hear the common misconception that
vegans are weak and malnourished (particularly protein deficient). Wanting to
break these grossly incorrect statements of not being able to get adequate
protein intake or supporting training, it has long been my goal to show how a
vegan diet can actually allow you to get bigger, leaner and stronger. Along the
way showing that living a vegan lifestyle really comes at no sacrifice. There
are plenty of products and activities that are cruelty-free – and it is through
cruelty-free that you can truly transcend and enjoy life to the fullest,
knowing that you celebrate life and cherish it by not contributing to the
unnecessary pain and torture animal agriculture creates.
2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again: how could someone have talked to you and what could they have said or shown you that could have been the most effective way to have a positive influence on you moving toward veganism?
Although I understand the intention of this question, it is through the many exact experiences I went through that has allowed me to embrace the vegan lifestyle the way that I have today and I wouldn’t change a thing. In saying that I literally experienced it all throughout my transition…whether it was extremely aggressive radical veganism or more unassuming, positive and non-judgmental support. At the end of the day it all boiled down to my own self-awareness and knowing who I was – that’s what mattered most. Whether the message was distributed to me in a more negative tone or more positive tone, I knew I personally wanted to change and I just simply gravitated towards the message distribution I felt gave the most value at the time. So in saying that, for those of you who have yet to make the switch and may be contemplating veganism, I encourage you to practice self-awareness, find those values and messages that matter most uniquely to you and allow them to help facilitate the change.
2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again: how could someone have talked to you and what could they have said or shown you that could have been the most effective way to have a positive influence on you moving toward veganism?
Although I understand the intention of this question, it is through the many exact experiences I went through that has allowed me to embrace the vegan lifestyle the way that I have today and I wouldn’t change a thing. In saying that I literally experienced it all throughout my transition…whether it was extremely aggressive radical veganism or more unassuming, positive and non-judgmental support. At the end of the day it all boiled down to my own self-awareness and knowing who I was – that’s what mattered most. Whether the message was distributed to me in a more negative tone or more positive tone, I knew I personally wanted to change and I just simply gravitated towards the message distribution I felt gave the most value at the time. So in saying that, for those of you who have yet to make the switch and may be contemplating veganism, I encourage you to practice self-awareness, find those values and messages that matter most uniquely to you and allow them to help facilitate the change.
3.
What have you found to be the most effective way to communicate your message as
a vegan? For example, humor, passion, images, etc.?
I am a big believer in authenticity. We are all intelligent
creatures that can really read through the bulls***. So when I speak about the
vegan movement and veganism, I only speak from the heart because I believe that
is the only true way to connect with others. Nothing replaces being genuine.
Naturally, I am a very positive, supportive and loving person – so that tends
to be how my message comes across. It tends to take many forms, whether it be a
powerful image, a few key words or the odd meme – all depends on the creative I
lean towards in that moment. At the end of the day all I want is to give back
to the community that helped support me in my transition, in any way that I can
and ultimately end animal cruelty, getting to a plant-based tomorrow, sooner
rather than later.
4. What do you think are the biggest strengths of the vegan movement?
4. What do you think are the biggest strengths of the vegan movement?
There are many but I would like to choose one and that is
passion. Vegans are PASSIONATE. My caps button didn’t stick there, it was
certainly intended. I always hear the joke… “How do you know someone is vegan…
Don’t worry. They’ll tell you.” Although I do find this absolutely hilarious,
the punchline is…it’s because vegans are passionate. Some may consider this
incessant need to talk about veganism as a bad thing, but being the optimist I
am, I think it’s the best thing for the movement. Passionate, caring and dare I
say obsessive individuals. This obsession to spread the word about veganism
GETS. WORK. DONE. Change will not happen unless we all put in the work to get
the word out and vegans are the best in the biz! Animal agri --- we’re coming
for you!
5.
What do you think are our biggest hindrances to getting the word out
effectively?
Censorship. Government and certain media outlets
intentionally go out of their way to keep information on the down low to
protect industry. Absolute bulls***. Silver lining? Social media. Each and
every one of your posts, photos, videos, shares, likes, comments, follows –
they all matter and count. Let’s all leverage that advantage of existing in
this tech age and keep spreading the word as much as we can.
6.
All of us need a “why vegan” elevator pitch. We’d love to hear yours.
Win-win-win. In no particular order.
- Ethical
Treatment of Animals
- Environmental
Health
- Personal
Health
7.
Who are the people and what are the books, films, websites and organizations
that have had the greatest influence on your veganism and your continuing
evolution?
In all honesty, everyone – vegan or non-vegan. Each and
every single person I have ever had a conversation with around veganism helps
me in continuing my evolution and spreading the word. In saying that, those
entrenched in the vegan community, organization or individual, who take time
and energy out of their day to post, share, like, comment and follow – it all
matters and counts in spreading the word and allowing everyone to level up.
Together we are truly plant strong – as nerdy and cliché as that sounds.
If I can get a bit romantic with nostalgia, I do recall the
exact resources that helped me when I was knee deep in my transition - Animal rights organizations like PETA (People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), documentaries like Food Inc. and plant-based
supporting literature like The
China Study and Vegan
Bodybuilding & Fitness.
8.
Burn-out is so common among vegans: what do you do to unwind, recharge and
inspire yourself?
Going back to the quality of vegans being passionate.
Because of that I tend to believe I have a really high threshold for burnout. I
can and do pull 18-hour days eating and breathing the vegan movement. But if I
had to choose a few things that allow me to unwind, recharge in order to
inspire again it would be the following…
- Spending
quality time with friends and family – all the furry ones included
- Getting
a quality workout in
- Watching
tv/movies or playing video games
9. What is the issue nearest and dearest to your heart that
you would like others to know more about?
Ethical treatment of animals. The
disconnect between our plates, retail stores from the animal itself is way too
large. I know many individuals who are still omnivorous or purchase animal
products but when asked if they love animals the answer is still undoubtedly
yes. Call it naïve – I call it being optimistic…I truly believe this affinity
for love of animals is the care and key to a more cruelty free and plant-based
lifestyle for the entire planet.
I encourage those who are not
vegan to explore social media/media and expose yourself to the "behind the
scenes" of where these animal-based products come from. In getting closer
to the truth and reducing the disconnect is where this affinity of love for
animals can truly shine and awaken a sleeping giant within.
If you begin to feel the pressure
of "there’s no way I can be vegan", don’t stress... you don’t have to
be vegan overnight. It took me many years to make the full transition and there
is no shame in that. The final destination is what counts. Trust in the process
and do what you uniquely can do to reduce your animal based product consumption.
Vote with your dollars and the system and the societal "norm" will
certainly change. You as an individual do truly have the power. The good thing
is, you already have a vegan community army behind you ready to fight side by
side.
10. Please finish this sentence: “To me, being vegan is...”
Compassion.
The deep pain I feel for the
sufferings and misfortunes of each and every animal involved in animal
agriculture is what drives me day in day out.
I feel very fortunate to be part
of such a passionate community doing such fantastic work. Together we are plant
strong and I cannot wait to be a part of that change alongside each and every
one of you!
