Philanthropy takes on many forms as the Sigma Chi fraternity hosted a hot dog eating contest to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation as part of their annual Derby Days fundraiser.
The premise for the competition is to consume as many dogs as possible in ten minutes. Senior James Treadwell blew the competition out of the water by eating ten hot dogs in those crucial ten minutes.
“I ate the first four in the first minute,” Treadwell said in a play-by-play of the competition. “Got to six about five minutes in, then I started taking my time.”
As the contest wound down to the final few dogs, things took a dark turn.
“The 9th and 10th…. I was gagging.”
As he scanned the opposition, he knew it was time to focus on the final leg of the race and rely on discipline when all other motivations fell through.
“I had to put my headphones on and drown out the crowd and just focus on the task at hand.”
Treadwell knew, with absolute certainty, that he would walk away with his pride and a gold medal.
“And I knew that I was gonna win,” he said, “there was no doubt in my mind that I wasn’t taking first.”
“It was lackluster,” Treadwell continued, “I tapped out at 10, but I could’ve kept going.”
The computer science and economics double-major noted how grotesque the journey to victory truly was.
“I was dunking them in water… It was disgusting.”
Originally from Marin County in Northern California, Treadwell had a family member in the audience supporting him from afar, his younger brother and first-year at Colorado College, Will Treadwell. The older Treadwell noted that his little brother was watching and he was confident he had full familial support as he took home first place.
“I think he was expecting me to win,” Treadwell said.
The champion added an anecdote about his background in competitive food consumption.
“[Will] knew me when I was rotund.”
Treadwell was constantly looking for ways to improve his speed at the table.
“My record with a plate of fettuccini Alfredo was 45 seconds…My friends used to watch me and see how fast I could eat pasta at lunch.”
Treadwell’s performance was intentional, disciplined and downright disturbing. His win felt guaranteed considering his past experiences in speed eating and growing up with all brothers, which catered to a competitive eat-or-be-eaten mindset.
Beyond the feat, the event served its purpose, raising money and awareness for cancer research through the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. This lighthearted and comedic competition combined philanthropy and willpower, shaving a few years off the champion’s lifespan from consuming an unfathomable amount of hot dogs.