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Smoky Sirloin Steak with Tomato Hummus

Black Belt Fueled by Beef

C. Brown | June 11, 2021

Mikey Portela


Black Belt Fueled by Beef

Mikey “Porterhouse” Portela, from northern New Jersey, is one of our newest Northeast Team beef members. Joining the team right before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Mikey has had to get a little creative with how he shares his love for beef as an athlete. After nine years of training, he received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in December 2019.  He continues to remain dedicated to the sport through competition and training.  “Unfortunately, I joined Team Beef right before COVID-19 hit so I haven’t been able to participate in races to have the Team Beef colors flying,” he said. “However, I have been able to wear my team gear at the Jiu Jitsu gym and spark up conversations all the time about it. I wear Northeast Team Beef gear to all the competitions that I go to.”  Having representation at Jiu Jitsu gyms is certainly an exciting first for Northeast Team Beef.     

We asked Mikey to think back to what got him started as a runner. He shares, “I can’t remember what made my family all decide to do a 5K together in 2012, but I do remember that I didn’t like the notion of not coming in first. So, after the race, we quickly signed up for another race. It was a fun competition until it wasn’t competitive anymore and I was running away with the races between us. I signed up for a marathon a few weeks later and it instantly became one of my favorite things in the world.  Now, I’ve run 12 marathons in 11 U.S. states.” His goal is to achieve the elusive 3-hour marathon finish time and run 50 marathons in 50 states.

Mikey isn’t as much of a fan of running as he is of simply being competitive. When asked how he stays motivated to run and he responded, “Competition. I always say that I don’t like running but I love racing. It is always fun for me to go all out and try to get a new personal record every race, and if I can make a podium here or there because of it then that’s just the icing on the cake!”

His nickname Mikey “Porterhouse” certainly helps support his deep passion for a great beef meal. Mikey describes his appreciation for beef as an athlete, “Deliciousness, ease, and nutrition! It is great knowing that when I come home from a super tough day of training, I will almost always have a New York Strip waiting for me. Beef provides protein, B12, Iron and everything I need to get myself ready for the next day of training.”

Learn more about the 41 members of the Northeast Team Beef program, including Mikey, by viewing the member library and our Stories of Strength page.  

Stay tuned to the Northeast Beef Promo Facebook and Instagram pages to catch up on how the Northeast region is actively seeking to promote beef. 

For more information, visit NEBPI.org or BeefBoard.org.