BLEVINS: RUGBY, BUSINESS & BEETROOT
Bryan Kelly
Rugby 15s Senior Men
Calgary’s Nick Blevins is an athlete like almost any other.
Most people know him as the formidable 29-year-old, six-foot-two, 225-pound Canadian inside-centre; What people don’t know about the powerful runner and strong tackler is that the Alberta native has been living completely off plant-based nutrition for the past four years.
What started out as a lifestyle choice proved so successful for Blevins personally that it sparked the idea to establish a fresh food company consisting solely of plant-based and dairy-free products.
Along with his fiance Michele Helmeczi, their company Beetroot began in 2016, originally set up to open as a completely plant-based cafe in Calgary, AB. When their lease fell through they took a pivot in early 2017 to focus solely on their most successful products: vegan, nut-based yogurt and cheese. These products have taken off in the last few months, and they are now in the process of expanding their line and scaling to store shelves within Calgary. They currently are offering online ordering, with shipping available in Canada.
“I started eating plant-based a year before the Rugby World Cup and it just felt amazing. I really saw an increase in my performance and my recovery between training has been unbelievable,” said Blevins.
“I wanted to do something drastic before the World Cup to improve my game and I ended up getting the best fitness score on the team. It’s hard to explain how good you can feel until you start cutting things out of your diet. I was always achy and tired but now I’m 29, I honestly don’t feel 29,” he added.
On top of the rigours of the life of an entrepreneur and starting a business from the ground up, Blevins has also had to balance the responsibilities of being a national team athlete and not being a part of the daily training environment at the Canadian Rugby Centre of Excellence in Langford.
“It’s been challenging. You’ve got to find time to train and run a business, but it’s made me a better rugby player. With nobody to tell me when to train and how and when to recover, I schedule it around what needs to be done that day as a business owner. I haven’t been injured in a long time, my recovery between training is unbelievable, and I am able to consistently train at a high level,” he added.
Having won 48 test caps – including 28 in the last three years – in his nearly ten-year career, and scored 10 tries, Blevins doesn’t look like he’s slowing down any time soon, which he attributes to his healthy lifestyle and diet.
“We just touched down in Santiago and have now been on the road as a team for the last seven weeks in Europe and the Americas as part of our World Cup qualifiers and ARC. Travelling with my diet can be difficult, especially on planes but I’ve had plenty of experience lately and have found ways to make it work,” said Blevins from Chile.
“We’re looking to end the ARC with a win against Chile on Saturday. We know they’re a good side and they’ll be hoping to knock us off to pick up their first win of the tournament at home. We need to continue building confidence, which comes through victories, as we prepare for the repechage in November. I know we can and will qualify for the World Cup in 2019,” he added.
“I couldn’t do it without Michele, who plays international rugby herself and just got back from her World Cup in Australia last November. When we started Beetroot we promised to do everything we could to do it all: Rugby, business, and person growth, and so far, we have. It’s definitely been a challenge, but it’s one we’ve chosen to take on. But couldn’t do it without one another.”
Beetroot info: