A run can change your day. This run will change lives.

Run #ForTheAnimals

Meet Cheburashka - my friend from Ukraine. I got to know her last summer when I was visiting the sites of my childhood about 100 km out from Odessa, Ukraine. Cheburashka is a rightful member of a beautiful family I knew growing up. Everyone and their neighbor knows her name. They love her, pet her, talk to her, give her attention and treat her with respect. Cheburashka gets to spend her days under the blue sky grazing on the pastures. Her newborn baby was not taken away from her and gets to enjoy her motherly love. She is milked by gentle human hands...

Thats what I saw growing up and I used to think all cows lived like that. But wow was I wrong. It is a world of difference from the way farm animals are treated in this country.

Tiligul, Odessa region, Ukraine. ...And no, nobody lives in that house.

Have you ever wondered about the reasoning for ag-gag laws? "Ag-gag" is a class of anti-whistleblower laws that apply within agricultural industry and can potentially incriminate activists for undercover photography or video on farms without the consent of the owner. I did not realize farming suddenly became a branch of NASA secret spaceship program! But the answer is obvious.

“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”

— Paul McCartney

My initial reason for going vegetarian, and eventually vegan, was weightloss and nutrition, but once I started educating myself on the subjects of food industry, agriculture and current practices of raising farm animals, animal welfare quickly became one of the main drivers for my lifestyle change.

According to Humane Society of United States (HSUS) more then 9 billion animals die each year just in United States for human consumption. But it is not just the fact that that many sentient beings have to die - it is the fact that they never really get to live. Their lives are filled with constant fear, pain, suffering, sickness, devastation, mental illness.

I couldn't not bare a thought of one sweet Cheburashka going through this life of suffering and eventually getting slaughtered, but to imagine 9 billion animals having to endure it each year? It is incredibly hard for me to process.

Some truths simply cannot be unlearned. So I saw no other way but to stop voting for animal products with my dollars. But what more could I do?

Pigs outperform 3-year-old human children on cognition tests and are smarter than any domestic animal; animal experts consider them more trainable than cats or dogs. Google it.

Some of you may have heard me tell a story of how I stumbled in this Gala event for an animal rights non-profit called Humane League back in January and was impressed by organization and awesome energy beaming from all the cool people I met.

I also heard Bruce Friedrich speak for the first time. His speech was a one to remember: thought-provoking, inspiring, logical... it just really made sense to me, and put words to some of the dissonance that I was feeling and seeing around me. But it wasn't until I got home I realized how big of deal this guy was, how much he has accomplished.

Bruce Gregory Friedrich is an executive director of The Good Food Institute (GFI) and founding partner of New Crop Capital (NCC), an organization that focuses on replacing animal products with plant and culture-based alternatives. He is a prolific speaker and made appearances on NBC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, AND my favorite The Rich Roll Podcast (Episode from 5/1/17)! Bruce was also inducted into the United States Animal Rights Hall of Fame in 2004.

“Every time I sit down to eat, I cast my lot: for mercy, against misery; for the oppressed, against the oppressor; and for compassion, against cruelty. There is a lot of suffering in the world, but how much suffering can be addressed with literally no time or effort on our part? We can just stop supporting it, by making different choices.”

Bruce Friedrich

It spoke volume to me that Bruce considered Humane League's Yearly Gala event important enough to attend and speak at, and so I started looking into what the organization was about.

The Humane League (THL) is an American based non profit organization that strives to reduce suffering of farm animals and inspire change at all levels. They do it through online advertising, student education, campaigns on campuses, and corporate outreach. The Humane League was founded in Philadelphia in 2005. Every year starting with 2012 THL has received Top Animal Charity award, which means they have been the most effective in converting dollars donated into the animal lives saved and policies changed. Other top charity animal organizations were Mercy For Animals and Good Food Institute (mentioned above).The Humane League is very data-driven and strategic in their actions. They train their leaders, conduct research, hold workshops. Basically, they don't mess around!

So when I learned THL are forming an athletic team to set a personal challenge and raise funds for farm animals it was a no-brainer for me. It seems like a perfect outlet for both - my energy and desire to help!

...And now it looks like ill be running a HALF-MARATHON in December!.. Somehow.

I love running, but mostly run for the view. However this time will be different. I am excited about the challenge, excited to train, to have a purpose, excited to prove that it is not only possible, but optimal to train for long distance running eating whole food plant based diet. And whatever suffering I will endure, I am sure it will be nothing in comparison to the pain and suffering of farm animals.

My goal is to raise $2,000 to help alleviate the suffering of intelligent sentient beings who happened to be chosen by our species to be farmed and eaten. My fundraising page can be found here:

https://donate.thehumaneleague.com/fundraiser/1031446

Everyone has their own style of activism and this is the kind that feels right for me today. It aligns with my values of kindness and compassion and is a part of a caring and give-a-damn person a aspire to be.

In addition it looks like there is a kick-ass team of pretty amazing and driven individuals that are coming together for this and you can't beat the high of being surrounded by a tribe of like-minded folks. Needless to say - I am pumped!

Stay tuned - should have more details in a few weeks about the half-marathon that i'll be running, my training and my new team!

Love, Krystyna