Questions & Answers
These are the answers to some commonly asked questions:
What made you decide to become a professional competitive eater?
I've always been able to eat a lot for my size, and I like to eat. A couple years ago, I heard about competitive eating as a sport and thought it sounded interesting. Last year, I saw a news video on TV and thought to myself, "I can do that!" When I had the opportunity to compete in an amateur contest, I went for it. I was pretty surprised that I actually won, but as they say "The rest is history..."
How much do you weigh?
Normally my weight ranges between 100 and 105 pounds – a little more after a contest. Actually, I've maintained about the same weight since college. I stay active — I swim several miles a week, work out, and do yoga so my weight stays pretty constant.
How do you train for a contest?
Honestly, I don't train for contests other than to try a of sample foods I don't normally eat (which is most of the food used in contests). I've never even heard of some of the food featured in contests. I wouldn't even know where to buy a kolache, for example. Oysters would be way too expensive to buy in contest quantities, and the nearest Krystal is over four hours away from my house. The most important reason, though, is safety and health. It's not safe to practice at home. Contests are supervised by qualified Emergency Medical Technicians in case someone should have a problem. You could have serious problems if something happened to you at home. That's why the IFOCE strongly urges everyone not to try at-home training. That's really good advice. Competing is fun - I do it naturally.
Do you ever get sick during a contest?
No, at least it hasn't happened yet. Generally I'm able to listen to my body and not push past the point where I can't keep the food down.
What has been the most surprising aspect of your competitive eating career so far?
Easily, it's been the amount of media coverage I've received in such a short time. I'm shy and I'm not particularly confident with my English, so sometimes it's a bit difficult for me to give interviews. I never imagined I would receive this much attention from the media, and it's taken some getting used to.
What foods have you found most difficult?
They're all difficult. I still eat mostly Chinese food, and I'm unfamiliar with much of the food used in competition like date nut bread and cream cheese, for example. I'd never even heard of it before, and had never eaten it before the day of the contest.
Do you hold any records?
Yes, I currently hold the record for cranberry sauce - 13.24 pounds in eight minutes. My amateur record for Three Brothers pizza still stands also. If you count the 2-minute Krystal qualifier, I also hold the female 2-minute record with 15. The totals in so many foods are so high these days, there are only a select few people that really have much of a chance to set new records.
What do you most enjoy about competitive eating?
The people I've met are truly the highlight for me. The other competitors and fans have been so great, it's made the experience wonderful so far. The travel is also a fun aspect. Traveling to contests has been nice for our family because it's taken interesting places that we might not have seen otherwise.
Where did you get your nickname?
Since I really didn't have a competitive eating nickname, Mike Castellano and Ryan Nerz of the IFOCE just started referring to me as "The Lovely Juliet Lee" when they introduced me before contests and it just seems to have stuck. Maybe that's a good nickname since it doesn't sound too threatening - that way, the other competitors won't know that I can eat until the end of the competition.
How do you feel about so often being compared with Sonya Thomas?
I'm flattered to be mentioned in the same sentence.
There are some obvious physical similarities, but anyone who knows anything about competitive eating knows that's where any comparison ends. Let's be real — she's a legend and always will be. Regardless of what I do in competitive eating, I can never take her place — there will always be only one Sonya. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't be here. I owe her a debt of gratitude for pioneering a woman's place in this sport. Personally, she's a very sweet woman and I always enjoy spending time with her.
