Raj from Singapore is The Biggest Loser
A mere one kilogram was the difference between winning and
losing.
24-year-old Singaporean, Viveganandam Deveraj (Raj) shed a
whopping 67 kilograms to win Season 2 of the popular
weight-loss reality show, The Biggest Loser Asia.
The Ngee Ann polytechnic graduate and 3D
modeler pipped his closest rival
Atikom Laksanapanai (Nai) of Thailand by a mere one
kilogram in the show’s dramatic final episode taped in front
of a live studio audience at MediaCorp Studios on
Tuesday.
In so doing, Raj took home US$100,000 in prize
money. Genghis Khan Enrique of the Philippines finished
third.
Speaking after his moment of victory, Raj told Yahoo! Singapore
he drew motivation to work out even harder after nasty
comments criticised his gamesmanship during the 13-episode
competition.
And despite beating a total of 15 other contestants on the show
to claim the top prize, Raj said this was just the start:
keeping the weight off, accumulated from years of bad eating
habits, was going to be the real challenge.
“Yes, this is a life-changing experience, but it will not be the
defining point in my life,” said a startlingly fitter and
trimmer Raj.
“The defining point will be the same time next year, at the end
of season 3 of The Biggest Loser Asia, when the highlight will be
on me once again. Will I still remain trim and fit, or will I put
back all the weight I lost?”
“Winning the prize money is definitely a very big cherry on top
of this life-changing experience, but it’s not about who wins the
Biggest Loser Asia 2 — it’s about taking control of your life. In
this case, every other contestant’s a winner as well,” the avid
gamer added.
In the showdown finale, Raj weighed in at a trim 77 kilos –
a massive 67kg drop from his original 144kg when he
started the competition.
Needing to lose at least 64 kilograms to beat Raj’s weight
loss percentage, the popular Nai of Thailand could only manage
a 63 kilogram loss at the final weigh-in, thereby handing the title
to Raj.
The top 3 losers (from left to right): Nai, Raj and
Genghis
“At that moment, I already made peace with myself and if I had
lost to Nai, it would mean that he deserved it more than me,”
said Raj.
Third-placed contestant, Filipino internet cafe owner
Enrique, hopes that his experience on the show will inspire
others to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
“I have so many excuses not to exercise. I have diabetes,
hypertension, heart problems, back problems and knee problems. I’m
a ticking time bomb. But look at me now, I have all the excuses in
the world not to take this step, so if I can do it, so can anybody
else,” said the man, who himself lost 53 kilos throughout the
entire show.
So what does Raj intend to do with his winner’s cheque of
US$100,000?
“I want to use some of the money to set up a charity, to help
people like me who need help in turning their lives around.”
Have a look at the before and after pictures:
Raj, 144kg, 24yrs, Singapore
The new Raj
Nai, 137kg, 26yrs, Thailand
The new Nai
Genghis, 162kg, 34yrs, Philippines
The new Genghis
Source:
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/12/15/singapores-raj-is-the-biggest-loser/
