When cheftestants ran to grab hops for a recent Quickfire challenge on Top Chef Wisconsin, fans might have noticed that Dan Jacobs didn’t join them. Instead, the season 21 contestant strategically walked to his station to put his knives down and waited for the chaos to clear.
“I’m willing to sacrifice choosing first so that I can get a better position in the kitchen to be able to move around,” Jacobs, 46, tells PEOPLE. “It’s a daily challenge to do simple things.”
The Milwaukee cook has Kennedy’s disease, a fact he shared with his fellow contestants following the elimination challenge in week two. Diagnosed six years ago, he struggles with fatigue and mobility, but sees Top Chef as a chance to not only prove himself as a talented chef, but as someone who can rule the competition despite the physical limitations that Kennedy’s brings.
