Esselstyn was born in Upstate New York, named after Rip Van Winkle, and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the great-grandson of George Washington Crile and the grandson of George Crile, Junior. His father, surgeon Doctor Caldwell Esselstyn, is one of the early promoters of a whole foods, plant-based diet in the prevention and reversal of heart disease.
Esselstyn attended the University of Texas at Austin on a swimming scholarship from 1982-1986.
He is the author of and Esselstyn is known as an advocate of a whole-foods, plant-based diet, one that avoids meat, fish, eggs, dairy and processed foods. He calls it a "plant strong" diet, a term he has trademarked.
He appeared in the 2011 documentary about plant-based nutrition, Forks Over Knives.
During that time he was an All-American swimmer. After college, he became a triathlete and competed for approximately ten years.
In 1997, he retired from being a pro-triathlete and turned his attention towards becoming a firefighter and Emergency medical technician, joining the Engine 2 of the Austin Fire Department. Esselstyn eventually retired from firefighting to focus on becoming an advocate for plant-based nutrition.
Esselstyn appeared, along with his father and T. Colin Campbell, in the 2011 American documentary on whole foods, plant-based eating, Forks Over Knives.
He later developed and starred in the follow-up documentary, Forks Over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn.
