Alex FriedrichIt’s hard to watch this.
Former Rochester Community and Technical College student Eric Dahl is the collegiate competitive-eating champion and says in USA Today what often goes through his mind when he’s mid-binge:
“Say you’re taking part in a 10-minute contest and five minutes in your stomach starts to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing? You’re full. What are you trying to do? No more food should come in here.’ Sometimes, your body is saying no, but you just have to continue, be persistent and keep pushing.”
Dahl, who went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in computer engineering, has earned more than $18,000 through his “sport.”
He told the Wisconsin State Journal:
“I’m eating for my education. It helps me get through.”
The video above was shot at Dickey’s in Rogers.
About the blogger
Alex Friedrich
afriedrich@mpr.orgAlex Friedrich reports on higher education issues for MPR News. Among the stories he has covered: the fall of the Berlin Wall, aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, 2003 Moscow suicide bombing and 2004 presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s in European political economy from the London School of Economics.