com.
"It was wild," said Jerome Burns, competitive eater.
"I thought I was going to be ashamed and guilty for eating so much but it ended up being super fun."
Burns entered the competitive eating scene in January 2025 after participating in a team ice cream challenge.
"It was like playing a team sport," Burns said. "We were all cheering each other on.
Rick was really supportive, like, 'Man you're really good at this, you should try some other challenges.' I figured, 'Why not?'
It just snowballed from there."
Burns subsequently completed various solo food challenges, including eating an eight-pound burrito and a 10-pound ice cream sundae.
"No one came close to finishing and we finished it in 14 minutes," Burns said. "Thirty minutes later, there was a giant mass of cold in my stomach….
cold and the overload of sugar – it's a bizarre sensation."
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To combat flavor fatigue during long challenges, Burns utilizes flavored drinks or distinct condiments.
"It was hard," Burns said. "It was the first time I encountered some of the mental hurdles of eating challenges.
The excitement and adrenaline – the first 5-6 minutes are always pretty fun. You still like the pizza.
Then I got to the halfway point – just the reality of 'Wow, I'm only halfway there.'"
Burns manages his stomach capacity by consuming seven to eight pounds of boiled cabbage to stretch his stomach while remaining within his daily calorie targets.
