As I reflect upon my eating carear as I said on the about Don Lerman page on my site, I invented the water technique , the first eater to use their own nick name in a contest, before that either the promoter the press or the sponser gave an eater a nickname , I change that forever!
The first eater to go out of state for a contest,the first champion to crossover to another food category, the first non Philly resident to compete in the Wing Bowl( achieving 3rd &2ndplace).
Recently I had the opportunity to be a greeter at a minor league baseball game , all expenses paid transportation door to door plus an appearance fee on hot dog day, when I found out that they were not Nathans Hot Dogs , I politely said no and passed up the offer, after all I'm on the wall of fame and as such am sort of an unofficial good will ambassador, yet on a recent picture of the wall my image is blocked out as it was last year in all advertising. In 2001 I toured the country entering every Nathans regional, out of 10 entered won 7 as document din the film Gut busters and the Big Eats plus at the Coney Island Promo eating 5 hot dogs and bun sin 50 seconds ,not to shabby , very impressive to say the least! ( which graced the back page of the Brooklyn Sunday News) I wrote the magazine that published that picture blocking my image to vent my frustration to no avail or no reply from them whatsoever.now as I move on to being a journalist from and eater I only hope that my accomplishments in the sport I not forgot en. I will be making up Don Lerman magnets and they will be free to my fans I will let everyone know when they are ready , untill then g oodbye for now..Don Lerman