People have enjoyed watching competition since long before the gladiators fought to the death in front of the masses at the Roman Coliseum. To many, the only thing better than seeing a good competition is being involved in one. Well, that probably doesn’t apply to the gladiators but it does apply to millions of humans that compete in modern sports, politics, and other pursuits that test the mind and body. There are all sorts of contests that you can partake in on a daily basis. Fighting for a parking spot at the mall and jockeying for a promotion at work are examples of contests that many get involved with. So is playing a game of poker or debating climate change with your pals.

Of course, there are many other ways in which people compete against one another and these contests are a little more entertaining to watch. It’s always fun to go to a club and see a dance contest or watch somebody try to stay on the mechanical bull. These seem like harmless activities and they look like fun. It’s not like anybody’s going to get hurt, right? Actually, it might surprise you to know that these innocuous events sometimes do lead to people getting hurt and even killed. It’s amazing how things can go sideways so quickly. Here are the 15 worst contest deaths ever.

15. Travis Malouff

Voodoo Doughnut ran a contest in which participants were to gobble down a delicious half-pound glazed doughnut. This might not seem to be much of a challenge to a lot of people but there was a catch. The doughnut needed to be fully consumed within 80 seconds. Travis Malouff, a 42-year-old father who was described as an “energetic and open-minded person”, took the challenge. As he was eating the oversized pastry, Malouff appeared to enter into a state of distress. Noticing that he was choking, a couple of people attempted to perform the Heimlich maneuver but were unsuccessful. The cause of death was asphyxia according to the Denver Medical Examiner. Not only does this story remind us of the dangers of such contests; it also reminds us that knowing how to properly perform the Heimlich can save lives.

14. Caitlin Nelson

Caitlin Nelson was a 20-year-old student at Sacred Heart University where she was studying to enter social work. She was a popular girl who was president of her sorority and described as a “shining star” and “selfless” by friends. Caitlin, a volunteer mentor for children, attended the Greek Life charity dinner which featured a pancake eating contest in which she took part. She wolfed down several flapjacks before suddenly falling to the floor and going into convulsions. Several attempts were made to clear her airway as paramedics were on their way but all failed. She was rushed to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The official cause of her death was asphyxia. This tragedy wasn’t the first for the Nelson family. Her father was a Port Authority officer who was killed during the 9/11 attacks.

13. Debra Harbeck

56-year-old Debra Harbeck was enjoying a night on the town with her daughter, Jessie. The two were at the Fire and Ice Club in Santa Fe where a far from sober Debra took part in a risqué but seemingly harmless contest in which female participants got down on their knees and ate corn dogs that men were holding by their groin areas. You get the picture? Unfortunately, the fun and games turned to chaos as Debra began to choke on one of the corn dogs. People rushed to assist her by performing the Heimlich maneuver but things were dire by the time paramedics arrived. Debra was taken to hospital where she died a few days later. Debra’s family filed a wrongful death suit saying that staff had over-served Debra and failed to provide proper medical supervision during the contest.

12. Glen Breummer

Glenn Breummer was in great shape for a 54-year-old guy and he was competing in his 7^th Ironman competition, along with about 2,600 other entrants. The North American Championship Texas triathlon started with a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and finished with a 26.2-mile marathon. Glen, a sales rep with a company that makes temporary replacement hearts, had nearly completed the swimming portion of the event when spectators on shore saw that he was in distress. He wasn’t moving and he was leaning to one side. Several onlookers quickly went into the water to assist him and he was pulled ashore within a minute. CPR was administered for about 45 minutes but the married father of two could not be saved. Glen had admitted that he really didn’t care for the swimming portion of these events but he was more than a competent swimmer.

11. Stacy Young

Stacy Young was a 30-year-old mother of two whom, despite being out of shape and having never fought in her life, decided to take part in a tough-man contest in Florida. She apparently thought that it would be kind of fun to get in the ring and duke it out with her stronger and much fitter opponent. She barely held her own for the first two rounds before entering the ring for the third round. It was then that her opponent, Sarah Kobie, proceeded to pound the tar out of Stacy. With the clock running down, Kobie connected with a booming blow that sent Stacy to the mat. She was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness. Stacy died two days later as a result of the injuries she received in the ring.

10. Alexander Nakonechny

Most Russians love competition and many of them like their vodka too. It would seem to make sense that there would be a fair amount of interest in combining the two. That’s exactly what a food and drink shop in Volgodonsk did. They advertised a “Vodka Marathon” which drew 50 contestants. The rules were simple. Buckets of vodka were filled to the brim and placed next to the contestants who would simply scoop it out with their half-liter mugs and slam back as much as possible. They were also provided with sausage, bread, and mustard to line their stomachs. Alexander Nakonechny managed to down three half-liter mugs before he staggered into the streets, collapsed, and died. The organizers were charged with negligence causing death. Approximately 40,000 Russians die each year from alcohol poisoning.

9. Joaquin Gracia

A beer drinking contest was held in 2013 during an annual festival in Murcia, Spain. 45-year-old Joaquin Gracia was a heavy-set guy who looked like he could down his share. The contest winner would be the one to put away as much beer as possible within a 20-minute span. Gracia reportedly sucked back six liters of brew to win the event. That’s just over one dozen pints!! Gracia triumphantly raised his trophy in the air but then began to uncontrollably vomit. He soon became unresponsive and was placed in a chair while being held upright by spectators. By the time medics arrived to transport the man to hospital, Gracia was in cardiac arrest. Gracia was pronounced dead a short time after his arrival. This tragedy put an end to the annual contest.

8. Jennifer Strange

KDND FM, a Sacramento radio station, held a “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest in 2007 in which the winner would win a Nintendo Wii video game system. The object of the contest was to drink as much water as possible without going to the washroom. Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three took the challenge and allegedly pounded back 7.5 liters. She ended up finishing second and joked on air to DJs that she looked pregnant again. She quickly began to experience an upset stomach and a severe headache. She went home where she suddenly died. Her body was discovered later that very afternoon. The cause of death was ruled as water intoxication. As a result, the radio station fired 10 employees and was successfully sued by Strange’s family who was awarded $16.5 million.

7. Walter Eagle Tail

Walter Eagle Tail might have had visions of joining the ranks of Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut when he entered a South Dakota hot dog eating contest on July 4^th, 2014. The 47-year-old wasn’t actually a competitive eater. He entered the contest on a whim to have a bit of fun which was his nature. Walter, along with 5 other competitors started to knock back a few hot dogs but Walter soon began to choke and quickly collapsed. Onlookers attempted to save him but were unable to remove the hot dog from his throat. Walter was receiving CPR by the time help arrived but medics were also unable to save the suffocating man who died in hospital a short time later. Event organizers wisely canceled a pie-eating contest that was to be held the following day.

6. Cameron Lancaster

The Ice Bucket Challenge swept the globe a couple of years ago. The object of the challenge was to raise donations for ALS research by being soaked with ice and water that is poured out of a bucket. Cameron Lancaster was one of the people that put a bit of a twist into the challenge. Instead of being doused with frigid water, some were jumping off an 80-foot cliff into the cold water of a quarry below. The Coastguard had warned locals of the dangers of jumping off the cliff two years earlier. The 18-year-old had friends take cell phone video of the occasion but it didn’t turn out as planned. Cameron jumped off the cliff into the water but didn’t resurface. Emergency crews were called to the scene and finally recovered his lifeless body several hours later.

5. Edward Archbold

Eating contests are quite popular although we have seen how easily they can turn into tragedies. The difference between many eating contests and the contest that was put on by Ben Siegel Reptiles in Florida is that most other contests involve consuming things that are meant for consumption. In Ben Siegel’s case, contestants were challenged to eat the most cockroaches and worms with the winner receiving an $850 python. 32-year-old Edward Archbold ate more than enough of the creepy crawlies to win the contest. As you would expect, he fell violently ill and medics were called in. He stumbled out of the store and keeled over. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was ruled to be asphyxia caused by all those bug body parts getting stuck in his throat.

4. Audrey Mestre

Some contests may never end. When somebody breaks a world record, people will try to break it. It goes on and on. One such record that stood to be broken was the “no limit” dive world record which Francisco Ferreras held. He has dived an incredible 535.5 feet below the surface of the water on a single breath. Audrey Mestre, the record holder’s wife attempted to break the record. She attached a 200-pound weight to a steel cable, took a deep breath, and plunged 561 feet below the surface. She was on her way back up when she blacked out. A safety diver quickly got her back to the surface using an inflatable device but it was too late. She was dead. She had already been under water for 9 minutes without air.

3. Dr. Richard Cho

Dr. Richard Cho was a 50-year-old competitive shooter with a lot of experience at the range. He was an International Practical Shooting Confederation instructor and was in Kamloops, Canada for an IPSC qualifying competition. Looking to add a bit of hardware to his collection, Cho entered the range and began firing at his targets. During the contest, Cho lost control of his pistol and ended up accidentally shooting himself in the torso. Bystanders and other competitors quickly administered first aid to the wounded and bleeding man while the emergency crews made their way to the Kamloops Target Sports Shooting Complex. Cho was rushed to hospital by ambulance but he died a short time after arrival. Even in a battle between an armed man and a piece of paper, nothing is certain.

2. Jeff Woods

Doughnuts and health aren’t exactly the best two things to collide since peanut butter met milk chocolate. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts were putting on an interesting contest which involved competitors eating a dozen delectable doughnuts. Oh, and they had to do it while running a 5-mile mini-marathon. The previous year’s contest raised $195,000 for North Carolina Children’s Hospital, so it was for a good cause. Well, 58-year-old Jeff Wood thought that he was up to the task. He took his doughnuts, headed to the starting line, and set forth on his doughnut-fueled trek to glory. Not even a mile into the journey, Jeff had to give up. He was suffering chest pains which led to emergency services being dispatched to the event site. The 58-year-old was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

1. Gary Sims

A former Royal Marine and father of two, Gary Sims went to his favorite pub with a couple of buddies and got into a pickled egg eating contest. Gary had some eggs delivered to the table and he proceeded to take three of them and stuff them into his mouth all at once. Amazement quickly turned to horror as Sims suddenly buckled. According to witnesses, he didn’t struggle at all. He simply collapsed and his eyes rolled back. Witnesses also said that Sims wasn’t even drunk. A staff member tried unsuccessfully to perform the Heimlich maneuver before moving onto CPR as emergency services were summoned. The EMS team arrived and whisked the unresponsive man away. Sadly, the 55-year-old Sims died en route. The autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxia.