Maayan Eliasi
bodybuilder
Maayan Eliasi is an Israeli bodybuilder who has broken into international competition and won her Pro Card.
- WNBF Israel winner
- WNBF Pro Card holder
- Winner at 2018 NABBA Israel Bikini
In 2018 she won 1st place in the Israeli national NABBA Bikini division Over 30 category. Soon afterwards she won the WNBF Israel in fit body category and overall fit body and received the WNBF Pro Athlete card. Competing overseas in the Colombo Championship in Italy 2018 she took third in Shape.
In 2021 she won Pro Fit Body at the Israeli nationals then shortly after aced a powerlifting competition (more here). In 2023 Maayan competed in the WNBF World Championships and took 5th in two categories (more here).
“My favorite was definitely winning 1st place in the WNBF championship, knowing that all athletes are tested for drugs and that we were all presenting clean bodies” Maayan told Great Vegan Athletes. “Knowing that I was the first vegan and clean winner helped me inspire more athletes to go vegan.”
“My body was suffering from inflammations and a therapist suggested trying a plant based diet. It helped my body recover and since I always loved animals going vegan was right for me.”
Finding vegan
Maayan was involved in a motorcycle accident several years ago which took some time to recover from.
“My body was suffering from inflammations and a therapist that I met suggested trying a plant based diet” she explains. “It helped my body recover and since I always loved animals going vegan was right for me.”
“I’m a strict vegan, my diet has been fully vegan for the past six years” she said in 2019. “No honey or any animal products. When I travel, especially during the competition season I bring my food with me from Israel.”
The demands of bodybuilding mean that a nutritious diet is essential. “When I’m in preparation for a competition, I eat mostly seitan but off season I also eat a lot of tofu and legumes especially lupine, chickpea and lentils. And a lot of peanut butter.”
It fuels the high impact training which has brought her results. “Bodybuilding is a combination of strict diet and resistance training at the gym. You train to bring the body to its best proportions. You attend posing classes and learn which routine or which pose will show your hard work the best way.”
Maayan has noted that her eating choices sometimes conflict with other people’s accepted methods. “In bodybuilding, protein and low-carb diets are a big deal. Wherever I go, people refuse to believe that the results I reached on a plant-based diet can be achieved. That gives me even more motivation.”
There are plenty more challenges for Maayan, and she has some in the near future.
“I plan to compete on the 2019 WNBF world championship in New York, showing that it’s possible to be vegan and a winner” she says, emphasising that veganism is crucial to her plans.
“Many do not know that some of the meat sold in Israel comes from animals that have been transported over continents and seas, known as ‘Live shipments’, only to fatten and slaughter them in Israel. In 2017 the number of victims of transports to Israel reached 499,265 calves and sheep. I’m hoping soon we will see an end to it.“