183 Wings Devoured in 12 Minutes by 'Black Widow'
The diminutive eating powerhouse, Sonya Thomas won the Buffalo wing-eating contest at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York, on Sunday.
Dubbed the "Black Widow" for her ability to eat male competitors under the table, Thomas devoured 183 wings in just 12 minutes.
Thomas, who hails from Alexandria, Virginia, stands 5'5" and weighs only 105lbs.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
She has dominated on the competitive eating circuit for many years, having won several titles and holds 38 world records. Thomas notes her records for eating 552 Acme oysters in 10 minutes, 11.4 pounds of lobster meat in 12 minutes and 65 hard-boiled eggs in six minutes, 40 seconds among her favorites.
Thomas has maintained her position as the reigning wing-eating champion, having also won the 2010 contest, by inhaling 181 wings in 12 minutes.
Thomas says on her website that she has always had a "good appetite, an active metabolism, and a burning desire to win." However, she did not begin competitive eating until she witnessed famed eating Takeru Kobayashi eat 50 hot dogs in 2002.
In her everyday life, Thomas says she eats little junk food. Her diet entails eating large meal daily, consisting of mostly fruits and vegetables.
"I eat lots of healthy foods--lots of fruits, vegetables, rice, seafood, and chicken--not too much fried food. I sometimes enjoy sweets, but only in moderation," she said via her website.
Thomas mentions that on top of her physically demanding job as a Burger King manager, she does two hours of cardiovascular exercise, five days a week to keep her metabolism "revved up."
She also says that it takes between eight to 12 hours for her body to digest food from a competition, which she notes are the exception to her diet and not the rule as she participates in contests only once or twice a month.
The runner up of the National Buffalo Wing Festival was Joey "Jaws" Chestnut who ate 174 wings in 12 minutes.
Thomas won $1,500 for first place, Chestnut won $750 for second place and the third place winner received $300.
