Hats off to the Championess
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The brains behind this website is turning forty. And that is worth celebrating.
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By Daria Zeoli, Guest Contributor
Were it not for this website, KD and I would never have met. I submitted a guest post back in 2011, and then a couple more, but it wasn’t until she put out the call for regular writers at the end of 2012 that our friendship began. We clicked pretty quickly, and if you can believe it, it was only a matter of six months or so before I trekked out to YDV Headquarters in Ohio to visit and attend the first ever Cleveland VegFest. There was also a touristy trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was forever captured with this photo of the two of us:
It’s pretty cool to be part of the awesome-sauce that is YDV, but it’s even cooler that our working relationship evolved into a personal friendship. In fact, our friendship was cemented pretty quickly, and I am grateful every day for it.
So, as I mentioned… KD has reached a milestone today. Earlier this year, she reached another milestone: her tenth year as a vegan. She is the mastermind behind most of this website – the design of it, the framework, the research and stylings of all of our vegan lifestyle and resource guides. She’s the author of countless thoughtful articles about veganism. She’s the guardian of a house full of dogs and cats and a back and front yard full of birds and squirrels and chipmunks. She calls herself a Championess for all animals, and it’s true. All of this is worth celebrating.
There’s a lyric in a Smiths song that goes “it takes strength to be gentle and kind.” KD is all three of those things. If you’re lucky enough to be welcomed into her circle, she will stand up for you, encourage you to speak your truth, remind you to never stop using your voice, and work her ass off for you. She shows strength in her convictions as an unapologetic vegan, is gentle with the animals she advocates for, and kind to others – sometimes even when they don’t deserve it. She encourages others to be vegan proud and was a pioneer in singing the praises of unsung vegan heroes. The time she invests in the causes she cares about and the animals and people she cares about is real – and it shows in her generosity of spirit.
Please raise a glass to KD Traegner today, or tip the hat you’re wearing, or go wish her a Happy Birthday on Twitter @YourDailyVegan. Or maybe do all three – after all, you only turn forty once.