Aw, shucks: Alabama woman downs 223 raw oysters in less than an hour

Credit: rob791/Pixabay

Credit: rob791/Pixabay

Break out the antacid.

An Alabama woman set a record for eating raw oysters in an hour at a Mobile restaurant, downing 223 in 50 minutes, WALA reported. Kristen Amy McElhaney, 33, broke the women's record at Wintzell's Oyster House in Mobile, topping the mark of 215 set by Beth Larimore Carter on May 1, 1997, AL.com reported.

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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.

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.

"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."

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