A Hyde Park woman is on track to becoming PETA's "Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door."
Sheena Spikes is one of 12 finalists chosen out of more than 1,000 entries in the United States and Canada for the contest.
Spikes adopted the vegan lifestyle after reading the book Skinny Bitch, and felt the need to combat a hereditary predisposition to heart disease.
Spikes is also active in promoting healthy eating habits around Chicago, although she admits that a vegetarian diet isn't necessarily for everyone. But her goal is to target and educate young adults and low-income communities who seldom have access to healthier food choices.
"Winning would give me a great platform for veganism and vegetarianism," Spikes said. There's a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of people are afraid of the unknown, so I would hope it would garner enough interest for people to give it a try."
The winner will receive a trip to Hawaii. Votes will be tallied until March 11 at either www.goveg.com or www.peta.org.
"I think my chances are pretty good," Spikes said. "I got voted with a very modest picture among some other women with some very sexy poses. I think a lot of people will vote for me."
