Portland's vegan athlete earns three gold medals at IPF World Masters Championships following a potentially career-ending setback
PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Two years after a shoulder replacement threatened to end his competitive lifting career, Vegan Strong PlantBuilt athlete Ryan Stills became a six-time world champion, winning the Classic Masters 2 men's 120-kilogram class at the International Powerlifting Federation World Masters Powerlifting Championships on Oct. 18 in Reno, Nevada. The Portland powerlifter earned gold in the squat, deadlift and combined total, along with bronze in the bench press. He also finished third in the M2 men's best-lifter standings across weight classes and represented the United States on its gold-medal team.
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56C`QmkA E:E=6lQ'682? $EC@?8 !=2?EqF:=E A@H6C=:7E6C #J2? $E:==D H:?D 8@=5D :? 5625=:7E[ DBF2E[ 2?5 @G6C2== E@ 42AEFC6 9:D D:IE9 H@C=5 E:E=6 :? E96 >6?UR_bhjD x!u |2DE6CD (@C=5 r92>A:@?D9:A @? ~4E@36C `g]Qmk:7C2>6 :5lQ!=2J|65:20`Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^>>I]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^|$a_`eceb^'682?\$EC@?8\#J2?\$E:==D\x!u\5625=:7E\2E\x!u\(@C=5D\a_ae]>Acn:5l~pb_afedaQ H:5E9lQde_Q 96:89ElQbadQ 7C2>63@C56ClQ_Q D4C@==:?8lQ?@Q ?2>6lQ!=2J|65:20`Qmk^:7C2>6mk^Amk^5:Gm
kAm$E:==DV G:4E@CJ 7@==@H65 2 D9@F=56C 96>:2CE9C@A=2DEJ[ @C A2CE:2= D9@F=56C C6A=246>6?E H96C6 E96 32== :D C6A=2465[ :? a_ac] u@C 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 A@H6C=:7E6C H9@D6 DA@CE A=246D 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 56>2?5D @? E96 D9@F=56CD[ E96 AC@465FC6 C2:D65 D6C:@FD BF6DE:@?D 23@FE H96E96C 96 4@F=5 C6EFC? E@ E96 A=2E7@C>[ =6E 2=@?6 492>A:@?D9:A 7@C>]k^Am
kAmQp7E6C 4@?DF=E:?8 E9C66 5@4E@CD[ x 7@F?5 @?6 H9@ 36=:6G65 x 4@F=5 C6EFC? E@ 492>A:@?D9:A 7@C>[Q $E:==D D2:5] Q|J G682? 5:6E 82G6 >6 E96 AC@E6:? 2?5 6?6C8J x ?66565 E@ C63F:=5 DEC6?8E9 2?5 7F6= C6923 2?5 EC2:?:?8] tG6CJ 3:E @7 E92E H@C< A2:5 @77 @? E96 H@C=5 DE286]Qk^Am
kAm'682? D:?46 a_`h[ $E:==D 3C@F89E 9:D 4@>6324< E@ E96 H@C=5 DE286 H:E9 2 A6C7@C>2?46 E92E E6DE65 3@E9 9:D DEC6?8E9 2?5 9:D A6CD6G6C2?46] w:D 36?49 AC6DD 3C@?K6 H2D 2 A2CE:4F=2C=J >62?:?87F= >:=6DE@?6 7@==@H:?8 D9@F=56C DFC86CJ]k^Am
kAm!@H6C=:7E:?8 4@?D:DED @7 E96 DBF2E[ 36?49 AC6DD 2?5 5625=:7E] t249 2E9=6E6VD 36DE DF446DD7F= 2EE6>AE :? E96 E9C66 =:7ED 4@?EC:3FE6D E@ E96 4@>3:?65 E@E2= E92E 56E6C>:?6D E96 H6:89E\4=2DD 492>A:@?]k^Am
kAm$E:==DV D:IE9 H@C=5 E:E=6 255D 2?@E96C 492AE6C E@ 2 42C66C 567:?65 3J DFDE2:?65 4@>A6E:E:G6 DF446DD 2?5 56>@?DEC2E6D E96 A@DD:3:=:E:6D @7 A=2?E\32D65 2E9=6E:4 A6C7@C>2?46]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mpq~&% 'tvp} $%#~}v !{p}%q&x{%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm'682? $EC@?8 !=2?EqF:=E :D 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= E62> @7 6=:E6 2E9=6E6D 4@>A6E:?8 :? DEC6?8E9 DA@CED H9:=6 56>@?DEC2E:?8 E92E H@C=5\4=2DD A6C7@C>2?46 42? 36 249:6G65 @? 2 A=2?E\32D65 5:6E] xED >:DD:@? :D E@ 65F42E6 A6@A=6 E92E A=2?E AC@E6:? :D 36EE6C 7@C 962=E9[ A6C7@C>2?46[ C64@G6CJ 2?5 E96 A=2?6E]k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56CaQmkAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^>>I]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^|$a_`ecbb^'682?\$EC@?8\#J2?\$E:==D\H:?D\9:D\eE9\(@C=5\492>A:@?D9:A\E:E=6\2E\x!u\|2DE6CD\(@C=5D\a_ae];A8n:5l~pb_afdegQ E:E=6lQ!9@E@ 4@FCE6DJ @7 #J2? $E:==D] '682? $EC@?8 !=2?EqF:=E A@H6C=:7E6C #J2? $E:==D H@? 9:D D:IE9 H@C=5 492>A:@?D9:A E:E=6 :? 2 4@>6324< 7C@> 2 ?62C 42C66C\6?5:?8 96>:\D9@F=56C C6A=246>6?E] w6 42AEFC65 8@=5 >652=D :? E96 DBF2E[ 5625=:7E 2?5 @G6C2== :? E96 >6?UR_bhjD `a_<8 4=2DD]Q 2=ElQ!9@E@ 4@FCE6DJ @7 #J2? $E:==D] '682? $EC@?8 !=2?EqF:=E A@H6C=:7E6C #J2? $E:==D H@? 9:D D:IE9 H@C=5 492>A:@?D9:A E:E=6 :? 2 4@>6324< 7C@> 2 ?62C 42C66C\6?5:?8 96>:\D9@F=56C C6A=246>6?E] w6 42AEFC65 8@=5 >652=D :? E96 DBF2E[ 5625=:7E 2?5 @G6C2== :? E96 >6?UR_bhjD `a_<8 4=2DD]Q ^mk^AmkAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^>>I]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^|$`gfaacg^'682?\$EC@?8\x?4\{@8@];A8n:5l~pb_afdedQ E:E=6lQ'682? $EC@?8Q 2=ElQ'682? $EC@?8Q ^mk^Amk^5:Gm
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?lrvfdh``U2>AjD5la_ae\`_\`hQ ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^27E6C\96>:\D9@F=56C\C6A=246>6?E\G682?\DEC@?8\A=2?E3F:=E\A@H6C=:7E6C\CJ2?\DE:==D\4=2:>D\D:IE9\H@C=5\E:E=6\b_ah`b`bf]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^27E6C\96>:\D9@F=56C\C6A=246>6?E\G682?\DEC@?8\A=2?E3F:=E\A@H6C=:7E6C\CJ2?\DE:==D\4=2:>D\D:IE9\H@C=5\E:E=6\b_ah`b`bf]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt '682? $EC@?8k^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5lrvfdh``U2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae`_`h`f_a!#0}t($0&$!#00000rvfdh``U2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae`_`hQ DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
