RIP ESSELSTYN was born in upstate New York, raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a three-time All-American swimmer and majored in speech communications. After graduation Rip spent a decade as one of the world’s premier triathletes. He then joined the Austin Fire Department where he introduced his passion for a whole-food, plant-based diet to Austin’s Engine 2 Firehouse in order to rescue a firefighting brother’s health. To document his success, he wrote the national best-selling book The Engine 2 Diet, which shows the irrefutable connection between a plant-based diet and good health. His second book, Plant-Strong, became a #1 New York Times best seller.
Seven years ago, Rip left his job as a firefighter to team up with Whole Foods Market as one of their Healthy Eating Partners to raise awareness for team members, customers, and communities about the benefits of eating a whole-food, plant-strong diet. He has appeared on numerous national television shows, including the Today show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and the Dr. Oz Show.
Rip is married to Jill Kolasinski and they have three children, Kole, Sophie, and Hope. They live in Austin, Texas.