For the past few days, there has been only one man worth our hype….that is none other than the reigning champion Joey Chestnut! As July starts, people get eager to see Mr. Chestnut in action.
This Fourth of July marked his new milestone of a 16th win in the championship and the 8th consecutive winning spree since 2016.
Imagine being such an epic eater that even a leading sports channel covers your win.
The man just devoured 62 hot dogs in 10 mins. That’s 6.2 hotdogs per minute and around 1 hotdog in 10 seconds. And by the time I finished this maths, he would have gulped down at least five hotdogs. No one, I mean no one, can touch Joey as the G.O.A.T., even if it means he has to eat an entire goat.
How did he become untouchable as a professional eater? Where did he come from to be such a legendary competitor? Let us navigate through his life so far.
Joey Chestnut: Early Childhood And Education
Joey was born on 25th November 1983 to parents Merlin and Alicia Chestnut. He grew up at his home in San Jose and attended Vallejo High School. He then enrolled at San Jose State University and graduated with an Engineering and construction management degree.
While he was still in college, he would visit his home during holidays. There, he discovered that he was a pretty decent eater, especially if his mom was cooking. His family was astonished at how much can he eat for such a lean body.
When others saw a beast eater, his brother saw a potential competitor in the making. When In 2005, when Joey was just 21 years old, his brother signed him up for a local low-resistance contest.
This was a pretty bizarre concept for Joey, who thought that people cheering and screaming at you while you were hastily swallowing a truckload of food was gimmicky. But still, he wanted to try, as he said, “A free hotel stay at a casino and all the lobster I can eat? Sure, I’ll give it a shot.”
It was there Joey showed his true form— a shy, reserved young boy transforms into a dominating competitor, growling and gulping the food. Seemed like a superhero first discovered his powers.
Joey Chestnut: Career
After Joey graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in engineering and construction management, he immediately joined a construction management company in Northern California.
Meanwhile, he has been conquering competitive eating contests since 2005. His most remarkable feat at that time was beating the high-ranker Rick LeFevre by eating 6.3 pounds of asparagus in 11.5 minutes. He kept on annihilating these competitions for the next couple of years.
Then came 2007– Joey finally got to the point in his competitive eating feat that he qualified for Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest– a national event celebrating the Fourth of July with gluttony. It is an annual event that takes place in Coney Island, where the contestants have to devour as much food as possible in 10 mins.
Before 2007, Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi was a reigning 6-time champion. But he was dethroned by Joey, who not only cut off Kobayashi’s winning streak but also won the next 11 contests out of 12.
Joey quickly became one of the most decorated competitive eater. And then, he made a career-altering decision when he left his stable job in 2010 to become a professional eater.
Joey Chestnut: Personal Life
To commemorate his defending title in the 2014 Nathan’s contest, Joey proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Neslie Ricasa.
The two reportedly split in early 2015 (not confirmed). Chestnut now lives in Westfield, Indiana.
Nevertheless, Joey is now a full-time professional eater and earns six figures annually through competitions, brand endorsements, and special appearances in events. His net worth is estimated to be $4 Million. He is a reigning champion and broke his own record by eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes, although he apparently never threw up.
What are your thoughts on Joey’s journey? How do you feel about his historic win in this year’s hot dog eating contest?
Would you ever leave your stable job to embark on your passion based on your talent?
Let us know in the comments section below.
