Paul Youd

Paul Youd is the spritely octogenarian athlete who discovered a new lease of life after choosing veganism at the age of 66. He now raises money for charity with his ultra-marathon and press-up challenges.

In 2019, VfL spoke to the then 81-year-old about how much his life changed after going vegan.

“I used to have really painful arthritis in my fingers. All I would get from the doctor was ibuprofen. It would hurt to lift a kettle or even just pull the duvet up in bed. But since going vegan the pain has gone. I feel so happy and energetic.

"I dance across the room in the morning to open the curtains and skip down the path when I leave the house. I have so much energy. I feel so good, I feel like a 40-year-old. I want to show people the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle because it’s never too late to go vegan.

"I had never really taken an interest into meat, where it was coming from and animals’ welfare but that seemed to spark it off. I then started looking into the egg and dairy industry and realised just how cruel it was and just knew I couldn’t be part of it any more. It took around 2 years for the blinkers to come off, then I went vegan.”