The Biggest Loser returns for season 14, January 6 on NBC with 18 new contestants including:

Lindsay Bravo

Hometown: Fillmore, California

Eighth grader Lindsay Bravo says she hopes that going on “The Biggest Loser” will help motivate others to change their lives and be healthy. She thinks she can be a good role model for kids watching at home, hoping viewers will see her and think, “If she can do it, I can do it too.” Lindsay was born in Santa Paula, California, and has grown up nearby in Fillmore, with an older brother and two older sisters. Weight became an issue for her at the age of 8 when her parents divorced. The change in the family dynamic was a catalyst for starting her weight gain, and as the baby of the family, she was often given whatever she wanted in terms of food. In sixth and seventh grade, Lindsay was a cheerleader and really enjoyed it. But she ultimately quit the sport when others began teasing Lindsay about her size. She has faced other weight-related challenges as well, from struggling to do some types of exercise to getting out of breath quickly whenever she does anything physical. It’s also a challenge to find cute clothes that come in her size – the jeans and shirts she likes often don’t fit. Now ready to make a change, she says, “I really want to get healthy and enjoy doing things I haven’t tried because of my weight.” Lindsay enjoys baking, swimming and dancing, and hopes to be either a pediatric surgeon or an OB/GYN when she grows up. When she gets healthy, Lindsay looks forward to being a flyer for a cheerleading squad, not the one holding the flyer. She also looks forward to trying out for school sports, shopping for new clothes, being able to wear a two-piece bathing suit and most of all, feeling healthy and confident.

*Meet all 18 Biggest Loser contestants!!*

Watch Lindsay’s video on page 2!!