Mali-born Hellah Sidibe grew up playing soccer before emigrating to the U.S. When visa issues prevented him from joining a Major League Soccer team, he pushed through the disappointment by starting a run streak. He hasn’t missed a single day of running since 2017. In 2021 Sidibe ran across the United States to raise money for the nonprofit Soles4Souls, a journey that took him across 14 states over 84 days.
Forks Over Knives spoke with Sidibe about why he started running, his decision to become vegan, and what advice he’d give other athletes who want to go plant-based. Plus, Sidibe shares his top three tips for how to stay motivated when the going gets tough.
How did your run streak start?
Hellah Sidibe: When I couldn’t play professional soccer, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Looking back, there are a lot of signs I was depressed. Eventually I got sick of it and thought,…