Michelle Lesco

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Michelle Lesco
Born (1983-09-16) September 16, 1983 (age 40)
Occupation Competitive eater

Michelle Cristeen Lesco (born September 16, 1983) is an American competitive eater. She is the 2021 women's champion in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, with 30.75 hot dogs and buns consumed in 10 minutes on July 4, 2021, ending Miki Sudo's 7-year reign. [1]

Contents

Early life

Lesco graduated from Eastern Arizona College in 2003 with an Associate of Arts in General Studies, graduated from University of Arizona in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with minors in history and sociology, and received her teacher certification from Pima Community College in 2014.

Career

Lesco finished in second to Miki Sudo in the 2017, [2] 2018, [3] and 2019 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contests before winning in 2021. [4] She is the third woman to win the Pink Mustard Belt since the contest was started in 2011. [5]

Lesco has also competed in other events, including eating 10.5 pounds of boysenberry pie and 158 chicken wings in 10 minutes. [6] In 2016, she won the Turkish Airlines World Oyster Eating Championship by consuming 227 oysters in three minutes, defeating a ten-time champion. [7]

Her nickname is "Cardboard Shell". [8]

Lesco is a math teacher at Roberts Naylor k-8 School in Tucson. [9] She has been teaching since 2012.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest results

2023 Contest243rd place
2022 Contest252nd place
2021 Contest30.751st place
2019 Contest26.52nd place
2018 Contest282nd place
2017 Contest322nd place
2016 Contest27T-3rd place
2015 Contest264th place
2014 Contest273rd place
2013 Contest27.53rd place
2012 Contest25.53rd place
2011 Contest204th place

Humanitarian work

Lesco was named Major League Eating's Humanitarian of the Year, working as the senior manager of Youth Services at the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, and donating both time and money to clean water initiatives in the Central African Republic's Bakota Liberté Village and Ethiopia's Adi Atsgeba Village and Adikokob Elementary School as well as the village of Geremu in Malawi. [10]

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References

  1. Sterling, Wayne. "Nathan's Hot Dog Contest 2021: Joey Chestnut wins for 14th time". cnn.com. Cable News Network (CNN). Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. Greer, Jordan. "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2017: Full results, men's and women's winners". sportingnews.com. Sporting News Holdings Limited. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  3. "RESULTS FROM THE 2018 NATHAN'S FAMOUS FOURTH OF JULY INTERNATIONAL HOT DOG-EATING CONTEST". majorleagueeating.com. Major League Eating · International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. Benjamin, Cody. "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest: Joey Chestnut devours 71 hot dogs to win 12th career title". cbssports.com. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  5. Skinner, David. "Tucsonan Michelle Lesco wins Women's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest". kvoa.com. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  6. Greaber, Joey. "Tucson teacher Michelle Lesco wins 4th of July hot dog eating contest". kgun9.com. Scripps Media, Inc. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  7. Burch, Cathalena E. "Eating her way to the top: Lesco adds oysters to titles". thisistuscon.com. Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  8. "Michelle Lesco". majorleagueeating.com. Major League Eating · International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  9. Coleman, Mary. "Tucson woman hoping to be crowned queen in Nathan's Famous July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest". kold.com. Gray Television, Inc. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  10. "Michelle Lesco". majorleagueeating.com. Major League Eating · International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. Retrieved 19 November 2021.