Joey Chestnut

“The most important thing in any contest is finding your rhythm and making your body work for you.”

“I love king crab a lot. I love good Mexican food, good tacos, and chile rellenos.”

“It was hard for me to take competitive eating serious at first. When I made people happy, I became addicted to that. It's been a fun, fun ride.”

“I think I get out of bed because I love to eat.”

“The way I see it, I love to eat more than anybody.”

“If there's something I like, I'm going to eat a little more of it than most people.”

“I have to eat healthy, and I recover. I run, and I lift weights.”

“That's one reason I like hot dogs. Nice and clean. And you can count them as they're going down.”

“It's addicting, beating the heck out of people and eating hot dogs and making people smile. I do feel like garbage afterwards, but so what? Most people feel like garbage after a long day of work.”

“I'm really normal except for the competitive eating.”

“I've signed babies' arms. I wanted to pull a 'Ricky Bobby' and sign a baby's forehead.”

“I know that when I'm fitter, I breathe better. If I breathe better, I can eat more.”

“I was awful my first time. I was so shy eating in front of people. It was so awkward. But my next contest, I brought a bunch of my family out, and I won that one. I remember I almost barfed because my mom, at the end of the contest, she yelled out, 'Do it for Mama!' Everybody laughed. It was one of the closest I've ever been to barfing.”

“I love to eat internationally and do eating contests everywhere. Traveling around, meeting people, and doing different things.”

“Once I get a rhythm going, I can jump those hot dogs down.”

“I've strained some muscles here and there, in my throat, even my jaw. Nothing that doesn't heal quickly.”

“Going into a contest, I do not eat solid food and take in minimal calories for days, so I am hungry.”

“I'm more than just a competitive eater. I'm a smart guy. I could be an awesome park ranger.”

“Everything at a baseball game is pretty much health food if you subscribe to the theory that you're eating what makes you happy.”

“After a contest, I try to eat fairly healthy.”