Hungry for more victory: Australian competitive eater travels world to attend eating contests

By Erkut Kargin

KASTAMONU, Türkiye (AA) – James Webby is an Australian competitive eater who craves for an all-out victory in eating contests worldwide.

Webby, 33, was working as a marketing expert for a company in Australia before he quit his job after he joined an eating contest in May 2021.

He has since been only attending eating contests. The competitive eater did not limit himself to competitions in his country, as he participated in contests worldwide, such as in the US, Brazil and Argentina, and emerged victorious.

“I want to travel the world and win every competition,” Webb told Anadolu.

- Webb’s favorite is Turkish baklava

Mustafa Girisken, the owner of a burger shop in Kastamonu, northern Türkiye, contacted Webby via social media to invite him to Türkiye for a contest.

Webby came Türkiye on Jan. 17 and won several rewards in eating competitions in various cities across the country, such as Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, and Antalya.

He also participated in a competition organized by Girisken in Kastamonu, ate 25 hamburgers and drunk one liter of cola in 51 minutes and 36 seconds to win a mobile phone and 5,000 Turkish liras ($265).

“He (Webb) said he likes the Türkiye cuisine, but baklava is his favorite. He advanced by winning all the competitions in Türkiye. His dream is to participate in all the competitions in the world. His next stop will be Dubai, which offers the biggest prize among others,” Girisken said.

He also Webby will extend his stay in Türkiye and participate in other competitions thanks to the great interest in him.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan