Joey Chestnut, known as ‘Jaws,’ is training for his 18th title in the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on the Fourth of July. Chestnut has been competitive eating since his college days and has won 17 of the 20 Nathan’s contests he’s competed in.
Early Life and Career
Chestnut grew up in Vallejo, California, with a big appetite. He was self-conscious about his eating abilities until he entered his first eating contest in college. Chestnut’s friends encouraged him to participate in a lobster-eating contest at a casino in Reno, Nevada, where he finished third.
Chestnut developed a passion for competitive eating and began to pursue it as a career. He has set multiple world records, including eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes during the 2021 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Training and Preparation
Chestnut follows a strict diet and training regimen to prepare for competitions. He eats a low-carb, high-protein diet and practices eating large amounts of food to build his stomach capacity. Chestnut also simulates contests by videotaping himself eating and having friends yell at him to mimic the pressure of a real competition.
Chestnut’s goal is to break his own record and eat as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes. He believes that consistency and longevity are key to his success and plans to continue competing for years to come.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
