Why Rulon Gardner Joined The Biggest Loser 11

It was a bit of a shock to hear that former Olympic wrestler Rulon Gardner will be appearing on “The Biggest Loser” next season. After all, he is a former elite athlete who just 10 years ago pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, beating Russian wrestler Alexander Karelin, who had not lost a match in 13 years. But Gardner, whose passion is working with disadvantaged children, saw his weight balloon up since. How much does Rulon Gardner weigh?

He hit 474 pounds before committing to “Loser.” He says he was in denial about exactly how much he weighed, but perhaps it’s no wonder – his life has been marked by tragedy as much as triumph. His daughter died in a car accident 20 years ago, and he’s been married four times.

He has endured a plane crash, a snowmobile accident and a serious car crash all in the past 10 years, which all could have killed him.

If anything Gardner has shown resilience, and that should help him on “Loser.” Will you be rooting for him?