Today we want to introduce you to an awesome plant-strong teen, Carson. Carson is an amazing soccer star, and she just happens to be an amazing artist as well. Starting tomorrow we are launching a plant-strong kids series, it will run every week for the rest of the summer, and Carson is our artist! You can check her work out tomorrow, when the first of our plant-strong kids series is up!
We also launched a facebook page just for teens. If you are a teen (under 20) and you are plant-strong or wanting to become plant-strong, just go to this page and request to join. We want to connect plant-strong teens everywhere, and give them a fun and safe environment to get advice from E2 team members, vent, share ideas and get healthy together.
Teens like Carson and Michelle (who we interviewed last week) are the next generation of plant-strong advocates, and we want to support them in anyway we can!
We sat down with Carson to ask her a few questions about her plant-strong life.
Engine2: Tell us a little about yourself
Carson: I’m currently heading into my junior year of high school at Leander HS in Austin. I love playing competitive soccer, and I’m the captain of my State Classics League club soccer team, Lonestar 97 girls Red North. I’m also an aspiring artist as well as an actress for my schools theatre department. Other than that I love hanging with friends and taking long walks on the beach. 
Engine 2: When did you decide to go plant-strong?
Carson: I decided to go plant strong about…2 years ago this September. It was difficult at first, but as time went on, I didn’t even have to think about it. Now the thought of meat or dairy disgusts me.
Engine 2: Why did you decide to make the switch? Have you noticed any health improvements since going plant-strong?
Carson: I remember over hearing my mom talking to Natala (Engine 2 Team Member) on the phone explaining to my mom how going plant-strong could help an athlete get an edge on their competitors by helping cell recovery and just being overall more healthy. I decided I’d try it out for a month to see if there was any improvement, and I just never stopped. 2 years later I’m healthier than ever and I’m playing a higher level of soccer than before I went plant-strong. Everyone thought I’d be hindered by making the switch, but I’m faster,stronger, and HAPPIER this way. I can’t imagine myself not being plant-strong.
Engine 2: How did your family and friends react to your decision to become plant-strong? Did you have support?
Carson: My family was supportive, my mom even made the switch with me. My peers however saw it as completely crazy. They would joke at lunch asking if I had dirt for lunch or try and shove a hamburger in my face. It was all in good fun of course but they still were a bit judgmental. As time went on they started to warm up to my choice, and some even started to ask if they could try some of the food I brought for lunch. But the thing that convinced all of them that being plant-strong wasn’t awful was when I brought in vegan cupcakes for a class party in spanish. I told everyone they were not vegan and everyone ate one and LOVED IT. Once everyone had finished I plucked one up and took a huge bite. They were shocked and asked “are you not vegan anymore?!?” I replied “Nope. But vegan cupcakes taste good don’t they?” My friends still joke around with me sometimes, but that’s just because that’s what highschoolers do.
Engine 2: What advice do you have for other teens about making the switch to plant-strong?
Carson: Don’t be afraid to make the change. You won’t be stuck eating tree bark or dirt, due to contrary belief.
Will it be hard at first? Yes. Every big change is. But don’t let that stop you. Find one or two good plant-strong cookbooks and experiment. You never know what you’ll end up liking. And also, arm yourself with knowledge.You’ll have alot of people be skeptical of your choice, and they’ll try to tell you that being plant-strong is dumb and if you don’t eat meat you aren’t healthy. If you know the facts it will alot easier to make the switch. And lastly, you will get ALOT of questions from your peers. (At least I did) There is one specific girl on my soccer team who even now, 2 years later, asks me “Can you have this?” Can you have that?” She even asked me once if I could drink water.
Basically, don’t be afraid to become Plant Strong, it will probably be the best decision you can make.
(PS, this is what Plant-Strong looks like!)
Thank you Carson! Please be sure to leave some plant-strong love in the comments.
And, dont’ forget to tune in tomorrow to see Carson’s artwork in our brand new kids series!
