Arlington Bodybuilder Crowned PETA’s ‘Most Beautiful Vegan’

For Immediate Release:
November 20, 2020

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

Today, PETA Prime named local opera singer, teacher, and bodybuilder Bülent Güneralp its Most Beautiful Vegan Over 50. He beat out entrants from across the country to receive a $125 gift certificate to the PETA Shop and an exclusive profile story on the PETA Prime website.

Güneralp went vegan nine years ago after reading vegan triathlete Brendan Brazier’s The Thrive Diet, and he credits vegan eating with fueling his performance, both as an opera singer and as an athlete. When his vocal students learn that his physique comes from healthy vegan eating and functional bodyweight training, many of them are inspired to go vegan. “It’s such a joy to see their shining faces, increased energy, happiness, [and] optimized vocal performance,” he tells PETA. Güneralp has a soft spot, too: Whether he’s releasing spiders outdoors, befriending a chipmunk in his garden, or protecting a baby rabbit from a neighborhood cat, he’s always on the lookout for ways to help animals.

“Bülent Güneralp is living proof that a kind heart and a clean conscience are the keys to beauty at any age,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is recognizing him for having a powerful voice for animals and helping to build a better world for everyone.”

In addition to sparing the lives of nearly 200 animals per year, each vegan is less prone to suffering from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity than the average meat-eater is, and vegans also help prevent future pandemics: SARS, swine flu, bird flu, and COVID-19 all infected humans as a result of confining and killing animals for food.

PETA Prime selected the winner of the Most Beautiful Vegan Over 50 Contest based on several factors, including vote count.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit Prime.PETA.org.