By Jamie Denty
SPECIAL TO THE PRESS-SENTINEL
“All my life, I’ve cowboyed. I’m a competitor. Now, I want to be the face of The Biggest Loser,” says Wayne Countian Colby Wright, best known for his rodeo expertise.
Wife Hope Williamson-Wright, softball player and coach, adds, “This experience has given us both a whole different aspect on life. It’s given us a new adventure for life.”
The 17th season of The Biggest Loser, a show known for dramatic weight-loss makeovers, will begin Jan. 4 on NBC. The Wrights, from K’ville, are among five Georgians included in the 16-member cast.
With this year’s theme, “Temptation,” cast members, competing for a $250,000 grand prize, will spend more time off campus than in previous seasons as they learn to deal with all kinds of temptations in the real world.
Although the cast includes eight teams of two—for example, Hope and Colby—who train together, each competes as an individual.
The process
Although both Colby and Hope have been physically active all of their lives, these newlyweds were displeased with the weight both of them had gained in recent years.
Colby had turned to food in coping with the untimely deaths of his father and brother only weeks apart.
Also, the couple wants to start a family, but Hope’s weight had become a factor for a healthy pregnancy.
They knew they needed to lose weight; they wanted to lose weight. However, Colby credits his coworkers at Woody Folsom Dodge for encouraging him to apply for The Biggest Loser.
Hope, a Pierce County native, had just left her job in a doctor’s office to return to school (to study to be a nurse practitioner) when they decided that they would apply.
After submitting their applications, they soon began the lengthy process of interviews as the producers narrowed its cast down to 16 from the almost 20,000 who had applied.
“It’s quite a process,” Mallory Morehead of NBC Entertainment Publicity says.
Colby explains, “This show, with the best staff from top to bottom—the trainers, the nutritionist, the doctor-it has had great success in helping people not only lose weight but also be healthy. It’s an awesome experience.
“And it’s so simple. It boils down to the individual who really wants to change his life.”
“Although you know they are always filming, it is scary at first, thinking that millions are watching,” Hope says. “Now we know this was a God-given opportunity.”.
Returning to the simplicity of the show’s premise, Colby explains, “If you have the right nutrition of good protein, vegetables, fruits and the right sugars, if you have a routine of exercise, if you get a good night’s sleep, if you are mentally and emotionally ready to lose weight, you can. Your body begins to change. You might see only small decreases on the scales, but when you drop a pants size, you know you’re making progress.”
He is impressed that several of the cast members came with health problems. Working under the care of the staff doctor and the nutritionist, they’ve not only lost weight but also reached a place where they no longer need certain medicines to control a health issue.
“It’s all about getting healthy,” Colby says.
For Hope, the hardest part of the experience has been learning to trust someone who can help her.
“I like being in control, and it was hard for me to give up that control,” she says. “Also being in California, I miss our families. Family is important to us.”
Although he has never been tempted to give up and walk away, “the daily grind” has been the most difficult part for Colby.
“I’ve always been a winner,” says the man who earned a rodeo scholarship to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) upon graduating from Wayne County High School. “But there was no way I’m giving up. I’ve long felt that I’m not the same Colby on the outside as I am on the inside. Today, I’m the best Colby I’ve ever been.”
The future
This couple, who met at Screven Church of God, believe that their experience with The Biggest Loser is truly a blessing for them, and they want to share what they have learned with others.
“Giving back is huge for us,” says Hope.
Members of Baxley Church of God, they work with youth, especially in sports. Today, they know that they have learned a great deal about having a healthy lifestyle, and they want to pass that knowledge along to others.
Hope also knows that as she enters college in pursuit of a career, her whole attitude has changed. She knows what it means to be healthy, and that makes a difference in everything she does, including her studies.
Upon returning to Wayne County, the two will continue to hunt with their dogs and fish the river. They love these sports.
“I won’t say that I’ll never eat fried fish or fried venison again, but I can’t wait to find healthy ways to cook both. After all, venison is a very lean protein,” Colby says.
He’ll return to the rodeo circuit and his work as a blacksmith, a farrier and an entrepreneur.
“I don’t rodeo,” Hope says. “But I’m Colby’s biggest fan.”
“We’re excited about this opportunity to be on The Biggest Loser,” Colby says. “As the show goes on, we’ll have links to our Facebook page and Twitter. It is a God-given opportunity for us, and giving back is huge to us.”
(After the show’s new season ends, watch The Press-Sentinel for the “after” photos of Hope and Colby and a report about their additional insights.)
Read more: The Press Sentinel - Wayne couple joins Biggest Loser cast
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Baxley Church of God Couple on NBC's Biggest Loser Show 1/4/16
