Joey Chestnut

I don't really get hungry that much. Sometimes I get cravings for certain foods. But I can go all day without eating.

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

I have the greatest job in the world, and my life revolves around my love for food - particularly devouring hot dogs.

Mom only gets angry when I don't visit her enough. She raised six kids to be 100 percent independent and work for everything we achieve. I mean, we don't expect anything for free.

I think my body was built to eat 68 hot dogs. It's natural.

When I'm in training, I eat no solid food except hot dogs for six weeks.

My birthday is always around Thanksgiving, and I always had to have turkey on my birthday. My mom was always, 'Let's celebrate your birthday on Thanksgiving.' My other siblings got to have special dinners they liked. I resented turkey. For a long time, I hated turkey. I've kind of gotten over it.

Every time you learn you can do something, you can go a little bit faster next time.

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 didn't just eat hot dogs. I studied how the food went into your system and how it would be digested.

There have been times when things get stuck in my throat, but you just work it up or down. Like how a swimmer probably can't imagine drowning - their bodies are so used to being in the water. I'm so used to shoving things down my throat.

I go to the doctor every four months to get my blood work done to make sure everything is working right.