Category: biggest loser 17

Corey Pinkerton
Age: 27
Height: 5’9″
Starting Weight: 391 pounds
Hometown: Fairbanks, AK
Occupation: Life coach

NBC Bio
Twenty-seven-year-old Corey weighs 391 pounds, and says he has always struggled with his weight. He was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the oldest of two boys, and moved every few years since his father was in the U. S. Air Force and Navy. He got a degree in general ministries at the Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, Missouri. Corey never learned to have a healthy relationship with food or exercise. He says he just ate what tasted good and usually ate too much of it. Playing sports in school helped a little, but when he stopped being active, he gained even more weight. He hopes to be an “active, normal size guy,” and be able to shop at regular stores, take new “skinny” wedding photos, and fly on an airplane without worrying about fitting into the seat. With the encouragement of his wife to get healthy, Corey looks forward to being a “hunky hubby” instead of an overweight husband.

Burgandy Keel
Age: 35
Height: 5’4″
Starting Weight: 231 pounds
Hometown: Eagle Mountain, UT
Occupation: Homemaker

NBC Bio
Like many moms, 35-year-old Burgandy always put everyone else first. When her husband was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008, she was alone raising seven children, including foster care placements and one child with autism. She realized then that if she didn’t get her weight under control, her children could lose both their parents – one to war and one to obesity. Despite having several overweight family members, Burgandy was a thin high school student, who ran track, played tennis, and worked as a local model. She married at 19 and began gaining weight with each pregnancy as she juggled the demands of motherhood and life as a military wife. She tried lap-band surgery in 2008, but it wasn’t the magic solution she was hoping for. Now 231 pounds, she says her family of five children and her husband are her greatest accomplishments, and she looks forward to running a marathon once the weight is off.

Brendan Donovan
Age: 32
Height: 6’0″
Starting Weight: 362 pounds
Hometown: Boston, MA
Occupation: Special education teacher

NBC Bio
Thirty-two-year-old Brendan grew up in Boston, the middle child of three boys. He was an athlete in high school despite his weight, and went on to earn a degree in criminology at Florida State and then a master’s degree in special education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. He thinks poor diet, lack of motivation and no exercise as an adult contributed to his current weight of 362 pounds. The weight gain has had an impact on his personal and professional life. Four years ago, he pushed away and lost his fiancee because he couldn’t deal with his weight issues. Formerly a police officer, he’s now a special education teacher and the creator of an afterschool weightlifting/wellness program for inner city kids in Boston – but he feels like it’s hypocritical to teach students how to eat healthy and exercise when he doesn’t do that himself. Brendan was inspired by fellow Bostonians and Season 5 contestants Mark and Jay Kruger, and hopes to gain everything back in his life that he lost due to his obesity and bad habits. He looks forward to being a better role model to his students, and fitting in the seats at Boston’s famed Fenway Park once he loses the weight.

Anna Wright
Age: 39
Height: 5’9″
Starting Weight: 330 pounds
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Administrative assistant and songwriter

NBc Bio
Detroit native Anna has been writing songs professionally for years for artists such as Toni Braxton, Dru Hill and Ginuwine, and also works as an administrative assistant. She was raised with seven older half-siblings in Detroit and Cleveland, and studied sociology at Cleveland State University. She started gaining weight in 1999, after the devastating loss of her three-year-old son to cancer. Shortly after, she lost her father to lung cancer. She coped by eating, and soon found herself overweight and struggling just to care for her older son. Now 330 pounds and pre-diabetic with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, 39-year-old Anna wants to enjoy life again and get healthy physically, mentally and emotionally for herself and for her son. She was inspired by Season 8 contestant Abby Rike, who also experienced the loss of her children. Anna looks forward to running and shopping in any fashion store, and hopes to pay it forward by becoming a motivational speaker.

Allie Ishcomer
Age: 22
Height: 5’5″
Starting Weight: 322 pounds
Hometown: Moore, OK
Occupation: Student

NBC Bio
Allie grew up in Moore, Oklahoma, and began putting on weight at the age of five after her brother died. From that point on, she didn’t feel like she had the structure in her life to keep her weight in check. At 14, she had vertical banded gastroplasty to try to combat her weight issues, but it wasn’t the quick fix she’d hoped for. Now at age 22, Allie weighs 322 pounds. After her overweight mother had a stroke at 48, Allie knew she had to break the cycle and change her life. Having always been overweight, Allie is looking forward to the experience of living a healthier life and seeing how strong she really is. Once the weight is off, she hopes to have more self-confidence, and looks forward to shopping and rock climbing.

Alfredo “Fredo” Dinten
Age: 43
Height: 6’0″
Starting Weight: 367 pounds
Hometown: Staten Island, NY
Occupation: Futures commodity trader

NBC Bio
Alfredo was born in Santiago, Chile, and moved to the United States when he was three years old. The oldest of three children, he dreamed of becoming a Marine and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17. In 1991, while married with two small children, he was deployed to Operation Desert Storm, and started to gain weight after returning from the Gulf War. To support his family, “Fredo” worked on the trading floor at the New York Mercantile Exchange, where he’s currently a member and a commodity trader. Now 43 years old, 367 pounds, and the father of three, Fredo has sleep apnea and takes multiple medications to control his diabetes. A real turning point for Fredo was when his daughter asked his wife if he was dying. His biggest motivation to get healthy is his family, and he hopes the weight loss will also cure his diabetes. Once he loses the weight, he’s looking forward to going on “The Incredible Hulk” roller coaster at Universal Studios in Los Angeles with his family.

Adam Hurtado
Age: 26
Height: 6’2″
Starting Weight: 402 pounds
Hometown: Santa Ana, CA
Occupation: Non-profit manager

NBC Bio
Adam’s motivation to lose weight stemmed from a devastating personal loss – losing his best friend and mother Nancy at 51, due to massive heart failure brought on by complications of diabetes and obesity. At that point, he knew he had to honor his mother by changing his life and getting healthy. Adam was always overweight, a combination of poor diet, lack of exercise, and over-eating. He grew up with his younger brother in Santa Ana, California, and attended Orange Coast College and Cal State Fullerton. Now 402 pounds at age 26, Adam wants to finally lose weight and help motivate others, including family members struggling with obesity. He wants to feel good about himself inside and out, and looks forward to traveling with his brother and enjoying an active, healthy lifestyle.

Adam’s mother worked as an administrator for a medical center, where she helped with an annual Christmas toy and food drive for local, low-income families. Adam and his family are continuing the successful, 15-year program, which the medical center renamed Nancy’s Miracle Toy Drive to honor his mother.

Ada Wong
Age: 27
Height: 5’6″
Starting Weight: 258 pounds
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Project coordinator for high tech company

NBC Bio
Ada has struggled with weight her entire life, and was shy growing up in Gilroy, California, with her younger brother and parents, who emigrated from China. Ridiculed about her weight and with no encouraging and supportive people around her, she turned to food for comfort. As she went through her school years, her personality blossomed and she excelled as a student. Her hard work continued at the University of San Francisco, where Ada earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on international business. Now 27 years old and 258 pounds, Ada hopes losing weight will allow her to feel more confident, feel good about her life, and finally be happy. She looks forward to shopping for clothes when she loses weight, as well as snowboarding, rock climbing and even running a marathon.