Dave Leduc on Veganism – “There’s a distinction between the diet and the philosophy”

Dave Leduc may be known as the first-ever foreign Lethwei champion and all-round kick-ass fighter. However, away from combat he also lives life by a strict vegan code of ethics. In a Youtube interview, Leduc mentioned how he originally turned to veganism to improve his diet and become healthier. After a while, he then started appreciating veganism due to the moral implications of protecting animals, as opposed to killing them for food.

Whilst interviewed, Leduc said, “What was strong for me was the health aspect. I wanted to be healthier. Then I started to renew my human compassion, there’s a deeper issue here. We’re breeding cows, we’re kidnapping their kids, we’re stealing their milk, we’re killing their kids. I realized, there’s so much brutality in this. There’s a distinction between the diet and the philosophy. I started being plant-based which gave me conviction in my life when I started being vegan for the animals.”

He also mentioned how he was inspired by the 2005 movie Earthlings by Joaquin Pheonix which is a documentary about animal cruelty. Furthermore, Leduc also said how an incident in Cyprus with animal brutality also led to his path toward veganism. Interestingly, the stereotype of fighters is based on meat eating for protein and fuel, whereas Leduc claims that this isn’t the only route and that veganism is also healthier.