Student banks over $18,000 by eating

A student is munching his way through university after earning more than $18,000 in all-you-can-eat competitions, which goes straight on his fees.

Eric Dahl

Eric Dahl, a computer engineering undergraduate from the University of Wisconsin, began competitive eating in 2011 after realising one night that he didn’t have to pay for a meal if he ate it quickly enough.

The restaurant, Big Red’s Steakhouse, had offered customers a challenge: finish a three-pound cheesesteak sandwich in less than 10 minutes and you get the food for free.

He completed the ask in five minutes 50 seconds and ‘it just started rolling from there,’ he said.

In an interview he added: ‘I’m eating for my education. It helps me get through.’

He pulled in his first monetary winnings after wolfing down nine pulled pork sandwiches in six minutes at Dickey’s Barbeque Pit and took home $250.

The super-fit 6ft 3in athlete has a strict fitness regime – he lifts weights twice a week, walks a few miles a day and plays hockey.

Dahl – who also goes by the stage name Silo – was at one point ranked first in the All Pro Eating league tables but has since slipped to third place, though this hasn’t affected his massive following.

‘I really get pumped when the crowd starts cheering,’ he said.

‘I’m friends with other competitive eaters, but once I’m on stage I don’t have any friends.’

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