Photo by Charlotte Foerschler
She’s a mother, nurse, marathon runner, and Navy veteran…and now Briana Jones is hoping to add another title to her impressive résumé: vegan champion. After being introduced to CrossFit through a Groupon deal, she quickly fell in love with the sport and joined the Vegan Strong Plantbuilt team, a diverse group of bodybuilders and other strength athletes on a mission to demonstrate the power of a cruelty-free diet. At 2022’s Mr. America competition, Vegan Strong Plantbuilt scored a total of 18 medals. This year, they plan to top that stellar performance as they take the stage October 4–6 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We chatted with Jones—who will be competing in the A.C. Fitness Throwdown event at Mr. America—about why she chose a plant-based diet, what she eats before and after…