News

''Black Widow' bites competition in pizza-eating contest

June 20, 2004

CHICAGO—Sonya "the Black Widow" Thomas notched her seventh competitive eating title in 2004 at the Bacci World Pizza Eating Championship in Downers Grove, Ill., on June 19.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the 5 foot 5 inch, 105 pound Thomas, 36, ate six-and-a-half large slices of pizza in 15 minutes. In the process, she defeated 49 other competitors, including 6-foot-6-inch, 409-pound Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, 38, of Long Island, N.Y., by a full slice.

"My jaw is tired," said Thomas after the contest. She won $2,500 for the speed-eating feat and strengthened her ranking as the world's top competitive eater.

The event was hosted by the New York-based International Federation of Competitive Eating, the self-proclaimed "governing body of all stomach-centric sports."

Thomas, who lives in Alexandria, Va., used bottled water to douse each slice of pizza before folding it in half and eating it.

Jarvis finished in second, while the two next-closest eaters tied at 5 1/4 slices.

Following her victory, Thomas was not only still hungry, she ate a half slice of pizza and ordered an Italian beef sandwich while waiting for a taxi to the airport--where she planned on buying some ice cream.

"I love to eat," said Thomas, who, earlier this year, consumed 36 dozen oysters in 10 minutes in a New Orleans contest.