Takeru Kobayashi

About

A world record holder in hamburger, grilled cheese, hot dog, lobster rolls, Twinkie, buffalo wings, meatballs, pasta, and pizza-eating contests, this champion competitive eater was signed to a Major League Eating contract in 2012.

Before Fame

He set his first competitive eating record in 2001 at the Nathan's Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Trivia

He is known for his "Kobayashi Shake" maneuver, a unique body motion that allows him to force more food into his stomach.During the Fox network's Glutton Bowl, he set a world record by consuming fifty-seven cow brains in only fifteen minutes.

Family Life

Born and raised in Nagano, Japan, and also known as "Kobi" and "The Tsunami," Kobayashi managed to keep his weight close to a slim 130 pounds (at 5'8") throughout most of his competitive eating career.

Associated With

He and fellow Asian-born competitive eater Sonya Thomas both set several world records.