Lesley Ryder

Lesley Ryder burst onto the MLE scene, winning the Women's trophy at the Sonoma, CA, qualifier for the 2015 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest by eating eight hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Ms Ryder, however, would likely prefer a less-clichéd description of her entry into the upper echelons of our sport. "Burst onto the scene?," she would ask, "I have never 'burst onto a scene,' okay? I may have made some noise or blown up a spot or two, but I have never burst onto any scenes, mark my words." Ms Ryder defies cliche. She is a former women's college rugby player—Hamilton College; loose-head prop—and a Brooklyn, NY, native who pursues comedy in Los Angeles. At the 2015 Women's Finals, she ate 10.5 Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs & Buns in 10 minutes. With more appearances at the MLE table, she will no doubt build on this excellent start to her career.