Well, I'm back with another interview. This one is a personal favorite of mine... Sonya Thomas... a professional eater. As a fan of eating myself... and of people with a sense of humor, the "Black Widow" was a blast. There wa smore of the interview, but this piece originally ran in Severe Magazine and had to be cut down for space. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd have put the rest of it in... but then again, I am lazy so we're all porked.

And as always, cutting and pasting messes up punctuation and parenthesis... so don't blame me for it it looking like a big bag of zed.

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It's Cool To Be You!

Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas

Sonya Thomas was drawn to professional eating in 2001 after watching Takeru Kobayashi down 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes. Destined for a greatness all her own, the self-described Black Widow has since gone on to inhale 25 current world titles, gnawing her way through Maine lobster (11.3 lbs in 12 minutes), cheesecake (11 lbs in nine minutes), and chicken nuggets (80 in five minuets), all of which has helped solidify her as one of the most feared competitors in the sport. Yup, thats pretty cool!

Burns: Why is it cool to be you?

Thomas: I represent the cutting edge of equality in sports among the sexes. Sometimes I'm actually able to perform better than the top-ranked male rivals. (And I wouldn't want it any other way!)

Burns: Professional eating has gained a lot of exposure lately.  Do you see that as a fad or can the sport sustain long-term popularity?

Thomas: The sport of competitive eating is on the cusp of a revolution in the way people distinguish between what is and what isn't a sport. This is not a blip on the radar. Competitive eating is being recognized as the sport that it truly is. Old, misguided perceptions and false labels are being cast aside. It 's about time! There will always be detractors, but their numbers are dwindling.

Burns: Why are people fascinated with the sport?

Thomas: Even though everybody eats, very few are good at it competitively. It's the same with baseball, football, hockey, etc. People admire those who have extraordinary talent, as many competitive eaters do.

Burns: You're very petite so you obviously have a very active metabolism. Are you concerned that one day it's going to slow down and you won't be able to stay slim and eat hard?

Thomas: Oh no! Both of my parents are rail-thin. I have good genes for being a competitive eater.

Burns: Are there dangers to professional eating?

Thomas: Of course, our eaters have to use common sense - - and they do. Each person has to know his or her limits of consumption and adjust accordingly.

Burns: Does the sport have an eat or be eaten mentality when it comes to competing?

(Yes, we intended on that pun.)

Thomas: Eaters' respect one another's talents, and there is much camaraderie among the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) eaters. When I first began eating competitively, I found that my fellow professionals welcomed me into this sport with open arms. But once the contest begins, everyone takes on a "take no prisoners" mindset.

Burns: Have you seen a lot of heroes come into the sport who thought they would mow down the competition, only to find their face in a bucket?

Thomas: That's funny. Often I see locals who maintain that they will give the professionals a run for their money, so to speak. And there was a whole lot of "Smack Talkin'" before the Krystal Burger contest. But, once the contest is finished, the truth becomes known and the dreamers come back down to earth.

Burns: You have records in oysters, hard-boiled eggs and baked beans.  Do you actually like the taste of everything you eat competitively?

Thomas: I would LOVE to be able to taste the food. I love food! But being able to taste it is a sure sign - - it would be for me - - that you'll likely finish far down on the totem pole when the results are calculated.

Burns: You aspire to one day own your own fast food restaurant. Would you hold eating competitions there?

Thomas: Perhaps - - but I would have to disqualify myself if only locals were in it. But, if Tim "Eater X" Janus, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut,  "Crazy Legs" Conti, "Beautiful Brian" Seiken, or "Krazy" Kevin Lipsitz showed up to participate, I'd have to put on the proverbial feedbag, just for good measure! 

Burns: Let's say we owned a buffet style restaurant - - should we be nervous if you walked through the door?