Month: August 2009

Julio Gomez
Age: 40
Height: 6’0″
Hometown: Algonquin, IL
Occupation: Mortgage Loan Officer

NBC Bio
Julio is an “Alpha Dog” that always has a smile on his face. His personality is equaled by his kindness, generosity and love for his family. Julio is the son of Cuban immigrants that fled Communism in the early 1960s. The youngest of three boys, he relied on his charm, wit and good looks to stand out in a crowd. Julio grew up on Cuban food, which eventually led to his weight gain.

Julio works as a mortgage loan officer, a job that requires intelligence and a strong ability to communicate, which has become increasingly difficult due to his weight. Julio would love to become healthy, fit and energetic once again so he may lead his overweight wife and two athletic daughters down the right path. Do not be fooled by his humor, Julio is here to be Season 8’s Biggest Loser!

Dina Mercado
Age: 28
Height: 5’5″
Hometown: Commerce, CA
Occupation: Custodian

NBC Bio
Dina grew up in a typical Mexican family. Her home life consisted of many extended relatives in one household. Her grandmother and mother were the cooks in the family. They prepared food with lard, rice and beans for every meal. Needless to say, Dina’s bad food habits started at a young age. When she was in middle school, her weight began to escalate with the death of her grandmother, with whom she was very close.

After the birth of her son, Dina’s weight problems continued, manifesting in a 30-pound weight gain. She was devastated when told by doctors that her weight was keeping her from bearing more children.

Dina has never had a steady regimen of exercise nor a structured diet plan. Her excuse has been that she is too busy because of her involvement with her son’s sports programs and her volunteer work. Dina now realizes that she has made a lot of bad choices and that this type of lifestyle cannot continue any longer.

Danny Cahill
Age: 39
Height: 5’11”
Hometown: Broken Arrow, OK
Occupation: Land Surveyor/ Musician

NBC Bio
Danny was overweight from age 7 to 15. He knew that he would be ridiculed in high school so he worked hard and lost 75 pounds. Danny became very popular and was the envy of all the guys. Being in a band also added to his allure. However, after high school his weight steadily increased through the years.

Danny currently coaches his son’s football team each year and would love to be able to do more with his young, energetic children. Walking around with over 427 pounds all day is exhausting, and taking care of himself has always come second to taking care of everyone else.

Danny feels his children are following in his footsteps and are starting to struggle with their weight. His seven-year-old daughter has been caught hiding in the kitchen and secretly eating. His son, although athletic, is starting to be rewarded for his size because of his performance in football. Danny’s wife also struggles with weight and should lose about 100 pounds. Danny needs “The Biggest Loser” to save him from this unhealthy lifestyle. He does not want to leave his wife and children early in life.

Allen Smith
Age: 44
Height: 5’11”
Hometown: Columbus, IN
Occupation: Firefighter/EMT

NBC Bio
Allen grew up a middle child in a large family that found comfort in food. It was not until well into his adult life that he paid the ultimate price. Allen has gained well over a hundred pounds since his days as a young college student.

The pressure of his obesity has finally made an impact on Allen’s career as a firefighter. His brothers at the department ride him about his weight and are scared they may lose one of their own in the near future. Everyday Allen feels the pressure of putting his life and his fellow firefighter’s lives at risk. He is worried that he may not pass the physical this year and is ready to grab this addiction to food by the horns. Allen’s daughter is the apple of his eye and he does not want her to be teased about her overweight father anymore. Allen wants to make the lifestyle change that will help him become a better husband, father and community servant.

Alexandra White
Age: 20
Height: 5’8″
Hometown: Harrisburg, PA
Occupation: College Student

NBC Bio
Alexandra has a will to succeed. She is currently a full-time student getting an MBA in accounting. She participates in many leadership roles on campus such as the co-ed business fraternity and the dance team.

Growing up was not easy for Alexandra. Her father left when she was young and she turned to food for comfort. Since obesity runs in the family, Alexandra never had any knowledge of how to control her weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In her family food was a celebration; for good grades they went out to dinner, for good behavior she got a snack. Alexandra was not aware that food would be such a detriment to her future.

At 20 years of age, Alexandra finds herself saddened that she cannot enjoy her life as a college student due to her weight. She cannot fit into the seats at her school, nor can she slip on a dress and enjoy a night out with her friends. When her friends ask her to go to the beach or on a spring break trip she makes up an excuse to save her the embarrassment.

Alexandra’s motivation is the future that lies ahead of her. She still has three more college years to live, a job to succeed in and she really wants to help her mother get her weight on track. Her mother is a huge motivation for doing “The Biggest Loser,” and at 40 she believes that she cannot lose weight. Alexandra wants her mother to see with her own eyes that it is possible.

Abby Rike
Age: 35
Height: 5’4″
Hometown: Mabank, TX
Occupation: Teacher

NBC Bio
Abby is loyal to a fault, hardworking, a vivacious lover of life who avoids conflict and likes everyone to get along. She faced an enormous tragedy in October 2006. In light of losing her beloved husband, 5½ year-old daughter and 2½ week-old son in a fatal car crash, she chooses to forge ahead. She has been searching for a way to finally get back to a “normal” life and feels this will happen when she loses the weight.

Abby has been on various diets since the sixth grade when her mother, who has also always been overweight, recommended that she lose a few pounds. Her weight has gone up and down for years and since the accident she has gained even more rapidly, using food as her way of coping with her losses.

She is high school teacher and is a favorite amongst the students, often being requested by students that are not even required to take her classes. She enjoys inspiring students to achieve their personal bests, but often feels like a hypocrite since she is not doing the same. Abby recently went back to school and graduated with a Master’s of Education degree maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. Abby desperately wants to live a healthy lifestyle enabling her to make the most of the next step in her new “normal” life.