Other than perhaps being hungry, McElhaney went on her record-setting eating binge Tuesday to raise money for the Distinguished Young Women scholarship competition, the website reported.
"Y'all better appreciate this scholarship," McIlhaney said as she closed in on the record.
They did. McElhaney raised more than $4,000, WALA reported.
McElhaney went through 150 oysters in the first 10 minutes, but then began to slow down, the television station reported. However, the fast start allowed McElhaney to catch her breath.
“I never thought I’d say this, but that’s a lot of oysters,” McElhaney said at one point.
Since she was a little girl, Kristen Amy McElhaney has wanted to be on the board of recordholders at Wintzell's Oyster House in Mobile.
— AL.com (@aldotcom) May 1, 2019
Now at the age of 33 and 223 oysters later, she's the new oyster-eating champion. https://t.co/mhejMaDay2 pic.twitter.com/H2VVhSbPbt
While McElhaney ate oysters, official timekeeper Wendell Quimby helped himself to a plate of fried crab claws.
"I love (oysters) but I'm gonna eat these crab claws and watch her eat the oysters today," Quimby told AL.com.
McElhaney broke the record at the 45-minute mark and got the number up to 223 before pushing her plates away, WALA reported.
Tomorrow at 11:30am at Wintzell’s downtown, a local Mobilian is going for women’s oyster record of 215 that has stood for 22 years! She’s also doing it for a great cause. She has partnered with over a dozen local businesses to help raise over $4,000 for Distinguished Young Women. pic.twitter.com/JtHTYNFQZd
— Bienville Bites Food Tour (@bienvillebites) April 29, 2019
My older sister is going to break an oyster eating record in about 5 minutes pic.twitter.com/fShlGqlebm
— John McElhaney (@JuanFabulous) April 30, 2019
"There was a little while there I was like, 'This is not going to happen,'" McElhaney told AL.com
Bob Omainsky, of Wintzell’s, put McElhaney’s name on the restaurant’s record board to make it official.
"She approached us a while back," Omainsky told AL.com. "She's actually been in here training a little bit.
"We couldn't be happier for her. She's tough."
About the Author