A Shawnee resident is heading to New York to compete as the youngest entrant this year in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
On the Fourth of July, Cameron Meade will make his first appearance in the national Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York City against greats like Joey Chestnut.
Meade earned his spot in the competition after placing second in the pre-qualifying contest at Old Shawnee Days, eating 25 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
It was an unexpected victory, he said.
“It came really fast. I didn’t know I was gonna even make the pre-qualifier until a few days before,” he said.
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Meade started competitive eating in college
Growing up in the Midwest, Meade said he was conditioned to be a fast eater.
“My mom would make us dinner pretty much middle school through high school, and after she would serve everyone their first plate .. It was whoever finished first got to go up and grab the second (plate), so that taught me to eat fast,” he said.
Combining that with a big appetite, as well as competing in sports in high school and college, and competitive eating felt like a natural fit.
“Everyone always said I eat a lot. But I didn’t really think anything of it, because everyone would just say ‘Growing teen boys eat a lot.’ Like, it’s no big deal. But I guess when I really would challenge people, no one really came close. That’s really when I realized I’m pretty good,” he said.
Meade did eating challenges con TikTok
While attending Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, which he graduated from in May, Meade said his friends caught on to how much he could eat.
“No one could believe how much I was eating when I’d be in like a dining hall,” he said.
From there, Meade would take bets, with the largest being $500 on if someone could out-eat him, and his friends made him a TikTok account, cam_eatz. He remains undefeated. In addition, those videos elevated his social following, which ultimately allowed for him to enter into the Nathan’s competition.
“That’s kind of how I got into the pre-qualifier, because you have to show that you’re somewhat of a good eater to (enter),” he said.
When Meade saw the list of cities where pre-qualifying competitions were taking place, he said he could’ve picked the Cleveland contest, which was closer to Bloomington, where he’s studying sports marketing and management at the Kelley Sports Industry Workshop. But Shawnee, where his parents, Dennis and Heather Meade, live, felt right.
“I love Shawnee. Joe’s (Kansas City) BBQ — Oh my gosh. I would travel anywhere for it. I can eat there almost every week, and it’s so good. I love going up there. So it just made sense and it’s awesome.”
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Meade has been training for the contest
Preparing for the competition, Meade has been staying with parents, as they help him train.
In this case, training includes practice runs where Meade prepares, dunks and eats 40 hot dogs and their buns within 10 minutes.
With the help of his parents, Meade records the runs and plays them back to figure out ways to improve how fast and efficient he can eat and fix any mistakes.
Convincing them that competitive eating was a good idea wasn’t easy, but they’ve warmed up to it, Meade said.
“It took some convincing. They definitely were not on board. I think they were worried that I might take it too far,” he said. “But because I’ve been able to show them that, obviously I’m eating an outrageous amount of calories when I do it, and obviously it’s not healthy. (But) because I’m working out every day and watching my diet, they’ve gotten on board, and they see how much I enjoy it.”
Several days prior to the competition, Meade said that he’s doing a liquid fast consisting of only water, tea and electrolytes. On days that he does eat, he keeps his calories down and his exercise routines at the gym up.
“Every single day that I am not doing a contest, so five or six days a week, I’m burning at least 500 calories through cardio at the gym and lifting for an hour and 20 minutes, and my calories for a day are under 1,000 calories. I’m only eating before and after I work out, just to try to keep off the extra weight,” he said.
Meade is excited for New York
The last time Meade visited New York, it was a short visit to catch the New York Yankees and Mets play baseball.
This time around, he’s looking forward to not only competing, but also taking in the sights and sounds of “The Big Apple” with his family.
“We’re going to try and make the most of it,” he said.
As far as the competition goes, Meade looks forward to reconnecting with Chestnut, who he met in college at a football game.
“I kind of joked with him and said, like, ‘I’m coming for him,'” he said laughing. “We talked a little bit, and I showed him some of TikToks, but he’s a really nice guy.”
While Chestnut maintains the contest’s record of 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes, Meade said he’s not intimidated. At the age of 21, he feels like he has age on his side and he’s only going to improve.
“I’m excited to keep working at it. This is my first year ever doing it. Like, imagine what a year of practice (will do)?” he said. “I feel like I can eventually reach the top. So, (I’ve) only had a couple months of practice for this one, but I’m really excited to see where I’ll end up when I keep going at it, and hopefully, keep being invited back and increasing my number each year.”
How to watch: The men’s competition for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest will air at 11 a.m. CST on ESPN2, with re-airs at 4 p.m. CST and 8 p.m. CST on ESPN and 5 p.m. CST on ESPN2
