Biggest Loser shares his story of success
Posted: November 2, 2012
John Rhode, of Mesa, Ariz., winner of NBC’s The Biggest Loser came to the Mesa campus of A.T. Still University on November 1 to host a Still Health Seminar, “Strengthening from Within – Strategies for Success.”
The seminar was presented to help raise funds for an Eagle Scout project being coordinated by Chandler Cottam, son of Wayne Cottam, D.M.D., M.S., ATSU-ASDOH Associate Dean of Community Partnerships. Chandler’s project will be to install a 1/4-mile paved fitness path for House of Refuge, a non-profit organization assisting individuals and families transition out of homelessness. More information about House of Refuge can be found on their website.
Rhode, 41 at the time of his win, caputured The Biggest Loser crown during season 12 in 2011. He lost an astonishing 220 pounds in 12 weeks, dropping from a starting Body Mass Index of 54.2 at 445 pounds to a 27.4 BMI at 225 pounds.
Rhode’s passionate presentation emphasized self-assessment, developing focus through desire, making change through small victories and setting personal priorities. ATSU Academic Technologies recorded the seminar for those unable to attend. A former special-education teacher and coach at Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Rhode now operates Trust CrossFit, also in Mesa.