Background and Early Life

Joseph Christian "Joey" Chestnut was born on November 25, 1983, in Fulton County, Kentucky. His parents separated when he was two years old, and he was primarily raised by his mother. She worked at a local café to support the family and ensure Joey received a solid education. He later enrolled at San Jose State University in California.

Chestnut often credits his mother's home cooking for nurturing his early interest in food. This enthusiasm eventually evolved into a competitive pursuit. During his time at San Jose State, Chestnut began training for food competitions using a diet that helped expand his stomach capacity, which included milk, protein, and water regimens.

Start of Competitive Eating Career

In 2005, Joey Chestnut made his debut in the competitive eating arena at the Deep Fried Asparagus Championship in Stockton, California. Despite being a newcomer, he made an immediate impact by defeating veteran eater Rich LeFevre, consuming an impressive 6.3 pounds of asparagus in just 11.5 minutes. This marked the beginning of what would become a world-renowned career.

Later that year, he entered the World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship and set a new world record by eating 32.5 grilled cheese sandwiches in just 10 minutes, finishing in third place overall. Quickly gaining recognition, he emerged as a worthy rival to long-standing champion Takeru Kobayashi, particularly in hot dog competitions and other food events.

Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi

Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi's rivalry became one of the most prominent in competitive eating history. Chestnut continued to push Kobayashi to his limits in various events, although he initially fell short in challenges like hot dog and bratwurst eating competitions.

However, in 2007, Chestnut broke Kobayashi’s six-year winning streak in Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Chestnut consumed 66 hot dogs to Kobayashi’s 63, setting a new world record. That same year, he also won Philadelphia’s Wing Bowl XV by eating 182 chicken wings in 30 minutes and consumed 103 Krystal burgers in 8 minutes to set another world record at the World Hamburger Eating Championship in Tennessee.