Eating is a basic activity that humans and animals engage in to sustain their nutritional needs and life.
But out of these seemingly normal undertakings, ‘Spanner’ Austin Awali has earned himself regional limelight owing to the speed with which he downs food portions. The South Africa-based Malawian has mesmerised both his competitors and audiences.
In his recent outing, the Spanner gobbled 10 pieces of nsima in two minutes. When you hear about his exploits, they seem unbelievable, until you watch him in the act.
In an interview with Chill, Awali said his beginning was not that serious, but now his skill has blossomed.
“I started eating like this when I was six years old, but it was only in January this year when I started participating in eating competitions. Now this is a craft I take seriously,” he said.
Since going full throttle into the food lovers competition, Awali has faced 12 opponents from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Senegal and Malawi.
In his last contest he defeated a Nigerian in under two minutes.
| Courtesy of Awali
But what is his state of preparations before games and how does he handle himself after the competitions?
The 30-year-old said his secret lies in drinking lemon juice twice a day, which makes him go into the games hungry and aids his digestion after the games.
He said: “I have never encountered any problems due to my eating because I know how to manage my intake. Even when I am having normal meals, I can take up to five pieces of nsima. That is normal for me.”
Ever since he started competing, Awali claims to have been defeated once.
“The only person who defeated me is King from Zimbabwe. We challenged each other to a competition of eating 15 eggs each,” he said.
But this weekend, Awali claims he is facing another serious challenger from Nigeria, who is yet to lose thus far.
“I should admit I am losing sleep over this showdown. My competitor has an impeccable record. I fear he may defeat me, but we will see. I will always defend the colours of my country,” he said.
Awali said their competitions demands that they contribute 2500 rands each and the winner takes it all.
He hails from Mbujo Village in Traditional Authority Nyambi in Machinga District. He left for South Africa in 2013.
In a separate interview, his manager William Shumba said he has developed a two-week master class for him to unlock his potential.
“I have been working with him for two months now after I got introduced to him by one of his sponsors, CE Electronics. He is a talented speed eater and out of all food lovers I have worked with, Awali has demonstrated exceptional passion and devotion to his talent,” he said.
Shumba said eating is an exciting craft that boasts a unique charm that sets it apart from all other fun engagements.
He said: “What we need now is a strategic organisation to establish a structured market for it to unlock its full potential and propel it to new heights.”
However, Shumba said in as far as it is exciting, speed eating has its hazards and risks such as choking and digestive issues which one need to consider for the sake of their health before participating.
