▁has ▁had ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁jobs ▁including ▁purch asing ▁agent ▁for ▁a ▁ste ak house ▁restaurant , ▁screen writer , ▁b oun cer , ▁n ude ▁model , ▁and ▁window ▁was her . ▁Cont i ▁has ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁comment ator ▁for ▁M LE ▁Ch ow down ▁on ▁S pi ke ▁TV . ▁He ▁appeared ▁once ▁on ▁the ▁Disc overy ▁Channel ' s ▁C ash ▁Cab ▁program ▁with ▁Tim ▁Jan us ▁who ▁won ▁$ 1 6 0 0 ▁total ▁by ▁answering ▁the ▁bonus ▁question . ▁ ▁Compet itive ▁e ating ▁Cont i ▁counts ▁Eric ▁Book er ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁insp iration ▁to ▁begin ▁compet itive ▁e ating . ▁He ▁won ▁his ▁first ▁competition ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans ▁during ▁Super ▁Bowl ▁week end ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁by ▁e ating ▁over ▁ 4 0 0 ▁o yst ers . ▁He ▁has ▁held ▁several ▁world ▁records , ▁including ▁the ▁green ▁bean ▁and ▁buff et ▁food ▁categories . ▁ ▁Cont i ▁trains ▁by ▁e ating ▁six ▁hot ▁dogs ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁as ▁fast ▁as ▁possible ▁and ▁has ▁studied ▁video ▁of ▁T aker u ▁Kob ay ashi ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁improve ▁his ▁technique . ▁He ▁also ▁runs ▁and ▁goes ▁to ▁the ▁g ym ▁three ▁times ▁a ▁week ▁to ▁avoid ▁gain ing ▁excess ▁weight . ▁This ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁several ▁mar ath ons . ▁ ▁He ▁claims ▁that ▁his ▁motiv ation ▁in ▁compet ing ▁is ▁the ▁joy ▁of ▁winning , ▁rather ▁than ▁prize ▁money . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁success es , ▁he ▁is ▁known