by A restaurant worker in the US has to complete a viral challenge that saw him eat just a regular roast chicken every day for 40 days.
Alexander Tominsky, 31, a server at the Barclay Prime steakhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said he took the food challenge on Sept. 28 because “it seemed like the right thing to do.”
His posts documenting his meals, in which he can be seen growing less and less impressed with his plates of plain chicken, garnered thousands of likes and shares on Twitter, with some people offering words of encouragement and others pleading that the challenge continues.
Mr. Tominsky hopes to use his newfound fame to collect donations for people who cannot afford to buy chicken for themselves.
To make his challenge, which ends Nov. 6, even tougher, Mr. Tominsky ate the whole chicken all at once, with no condiments or sides, and chose the “simplest” roast chickens possible.
“I mean, nothing is a challenge without a little pain and without a little pain, it’s hard to understand what it’s like to feel good,” he told the news agency. PA.
He said the challenge was “pretty easy” when it started, but “now it’s really taken a toll on my body”.
“I’ve had so much sodium and I’ve felt really lightheaded at times and my stomach is just bloated,” he added.
“But for the past two days I’ve been to the pier where I plan to eat my last chicken in front of hopefully thousands of people and I feel pretty good – almost like I’m having a climb of adrenaline.”
Mr Tominsky’s avid online followers were encouraged to visit the pier at midday in Philadelphia (1700 GMT) to see him devour his last bird.
Although he had eaten the same ordinary food for more than a month, Mr Tominsky said he had a favorite bird, which came from a small market called Rittenhouse near his place of work.
“Although the chicken was barely seasoned, I’ve come to prefer this one and it’s become my favorite,” he said.
“And what’s great is that when I go there they give me the thumbs up – they seem really excited and happy and welcoming.”
He also said he was happy to see a positive response on social media as he aimed to unite people around a common meal across the world.
“I knew it was going to be very powerful, I knew it was something very special,” Mr. Tominsky added.
“And that unites all people, regardless of their origin, their political point of view, their race, their sexual orientation – it’s just a good thing.”
However, Mr. Tominsky predicts that it will be a while before he can eat chicken again.
“Everything about it disgusts me now – like the sound of taking it apart, the smell, the taste, it’s just an overwhelming feeling at this point,” he said.
