It is hard to be the only overweight person in a skinny family.
Thornton resident Angela Lurtz, 18, has tried all kinds of ways to shed some excess pounds, including taking instruction from her mother, a soon-to-be certified personal trainer, but nothing has worked.
That is why, after a chance encounter with representatives from “The Biggest Loser” reality show at Denver’s Elitch Gardens last week, Lurtz decided to attend the show’s casting call in Broomfield on Saturday.
“Without goals and planning, you’re not going to get anywhere, and losing (weight) is important,” said Lurtz, who attends Metropolitan State College of Denver. “I’m in theater, and I don’t want to be playing ‘Hairspray’ for the rest of my life.”
Lurtz was one of about 550 hopefuls who came to the 1stBank Center on Saturday to audition for a spot on the 11th season of the NBC weight-loss series. The winner of “The Biggest Loser” Season 11 will receive a $250,000 prize.
Broomfield resident and former University of Colorado football player Jimmy Webb said the grand prize was not his motivation for turning out.
“You know anyone could use the money, but when you lose the weight, you’ll make money because opportunities will open up,” Webb said. “When you’re big, people view you as a health risk when you apply for jobs, even if they don’t say it.”
The casting team will visit 10 other U.S. cities before making final selections. Saturday was the first time they had come to Colorado.
