Breakaway Running – Memphis Flyer

Brett Healy, a Memphian via New Jersey, will take the stage Monday for Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Eating Contest.

Healy is ranked 19th in Major League Eating and has 72 food challenge wins under his belt as he heads to the “Super Bowl” of eating competitions. Getting there was tough, Healy said, calling it a “bloody road.” He fell “agonizingly short” in the Coney Island qualifiers in Miami and St. Louis.

(ESPN will cover the event live from 9:45 a.m. to noon CST.)

We caught up with Healy before the big hot-dog-eating contest to talk about training, going pro, and how you feel after a competition. — Toby Sells

Memphis Flyer: How did you get started?

Brett Healy: I did a small burger challenge at a pub near where I used to work in New Jersey. I just went there after work one day, not really knowing what I was doing. But I work out and I have a pretty big appetite. I won the challenge and physically I felt terrible but mentally I felt amazing and it was exciting.

What’s the bridge between this being a hobby and then going pro?

The thing that vaulted me was the [Breakaway Running and Bardog Tavern] meatball eating contest. My first time doing that meatball eating contest, I broke the record that they’ve had for that. That YouTube video actually got pretty popular.

Then, [Bardog owner Aldo Dean] actually wanted to sponsor me. I did some contests with Major League Eating later that year. I did a Moon Pie eating contest that took place outside the [Bass Pro Shop at the Pyramid].

Then, Bardog sponsored me to go to some of these Nathan’s hotdog qualifiers. I lost several of them by a very, very close margin. It was a bloody road. I had to train myself up and get better and better. Then, in August 2019 I finally won a qualifier in Des Moines, Iowa, and that qualified me for the 2020 Nathan’s Fourth of July contest.

Obviously, the world went upside down for a couple of years after that. So, I’m glad I’m finally actually getting to punch my ticket to the big show here.

What’s your strategy?

[Takeru Kobayashi] pioneered this and it’s the technique that everyone does now. If you’re not doing this, you’re doing yourself a huge disadvantage. I eat the hot dogs first. I dunk the bun in — I actually don’t use water. I put a flavor enhancer into it. So I’ll do lemon or blue raspberry flavor. The hot dogs go in first and then you’re putting in that disgusting wet bun, it’s just so much easier to eat fast.

In the weirdest way, this is a sport because there’s eating. … and, then, [competitive eating] is not eating. This is getting food inside you as quick as possible.

I’ve been signed with Major League Eating as a pro for a little over three years now. I’ve learned some techniques along the way. I’ve learned some techniques from some of the other eaters, too. It is a great, close-knit community. Most of us have a regular day job and we’re just normal people doing this weird, fun hobby.

How do you train?

I used to use solids and fluids. I’d eat eight to 10 pounds of watermelon and then chug half a gallon of fluid after that. That takes a lot of preparation and time and we’re all busy. So, these days my training sessions usually looks like. … I’ll chug between 1.5 gallons to 1.75 gallons of fluid. Just let that stretch my stomach. Nutrition is key to doing this, too. I like to eat healthy, stay lean. This is a sport. So, you want to have your body in good shape, be flexible, and be ready to handle anything.

Obviously, you want to to keep your weight under control. This is something that, if you don’t take care of yourself, it can get out of whack pretty easily. So, it’s actually forced me to be very cognizant of my health when I’m not at the competitive eating table.

How big of a deal is the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest?

This is the pinnacle, the apex, the Super Bowl of competitive eating. So, this is extremely exciting that I’m getting to represent Memphis on the biggest stage.

Not too many people know about all the other eating contests and the circuit that Major League Eating has throughout the year. But they know the Nathan’s Fourth of July contest. So, it’s been kind of a surreal experience that I actually get to get there and enjoy that thrill.

How do you feel after a contest like this?

Oh, absolutely awful. If you’re not walking away from the table feeling like absolute garbage, you didn’t push yourself.

You would think fullness is the worst of it. Dehydration, I think, is actually the most punishing aspect after a restaurant challenge or an eating contest.

Your body’s completely empty going into it. I generally won’t have solid foods for 20 to 22 hours. before an event. So, I wanna make sure I’m completely empty, ready to take everything in.

Obviously, you’re pretty devoid of water. So, eating a lot of salty hot dogs or burgers or pizza, it takes about 24 hours before you feel kind of back to normal physically.

Step into Belly Acres, and you’ll spot something a bit unusual, even for freaky-deaky Midtown: a 38-year-old heterosexual male with bright green hair. What’s even more surprising is that the guy isn’t a customer or a waiter…he’s the owner.

“I like it, but my kids aren’t crazy about it,” admits Belly Acres’ Ben McLean. “They asked me not to get out of the car when I pick them up from school.”

Of course, nobody needs a reason to go green. To be honest, the troll doll look kind of suits him. But in McLean’s case, it’s more than just a fashion statement. He’s raising money to help feed hungry seniors.

“When I was a kid,” recalls McLean, “my dad drove Meals on Wheels in the church van. I got to see how it would touch these families’ lives, how appreciative they were.”

“MIFA is helping people who really need it,” he adds, “and I always knew I wanted to be a part of that. It just gives them one less thing to worry about, you know?”

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It’s called FitBen, and here’s how it works. During the month of March, McLean is wearing a Garmin Vivofit, which tracks his steps. He’s posting weekly totals and asking people to donate to MIFA based on those numbers.

For instance, you could pledge 1 cent for every 100 steps that McLean takes in March. If he ends up taking 312,440 steps, you would donate $31. (Click here to find out more and sign up.)

“It’s March for Meals,” says McLean, “and as a restaurant owner, I march around all day. At any given moment, I’m a waiter, a dishwasher, a cook, or a cashier. So I figured, why not use that as a way to raise awareness and help feed hungry seniors?”

During the first week of the challenge, McLean walked 117,000 steps. Then, in week two, he upped it to 216,000 steps. Although he doesn’t know how much money has been pledged to MIFA, he says his dream is to raise $50,000.

“You gotta shoot for the moon,” says McLean. “If we get to $50,000, then I’ll keep my hair green all year long.”

Want to celebrate with McLean? There’s a wrap party at Belly Acres on March 31st. He adds that his shoes and Vivofit were donated by Breakaway Running, and his hair was donated by Dabbles Hair Company.

So here’s my question. The hair is green…why not go all the way? Eyebrows?

“Yeah, I couldn’t do that,” answers McLean. “I had to draw the line somewhere, and I drew it at the eyebrows.”