About the Kids

The four boys and two girls you saw on Shaq's Big Challenge all go to middle school in Broward County, Florida. Shaq and his team of experts selected them for the show from a pool of kids nominated by their concerned parents.

	Ariel, age 14, weighed 211 lbs. at the start of the show and lost 41 lbs. with the program. Check out our post-show interview with Ariel. Ariel is very optimistic about her decision to lose weight, and is excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the program. Like many of us, Ariel is a "comfort eater" in times of stress.
	Chris, age 11, weighed 206 lbs. at the start of the show and lost 77 lbs. with the program. Check out our post-show interview with Chris. Chris plays on a baseball team and dreams of becoming a professional ball player one day. He loves big family dinners featuring his mother's homemade Cuban dishes. As his father says, in the Cuban culture, "if you are thin you aren't doing well."
	James, age 11, weighed 182 lbs. at the start of the show and lost 25 lbs. with the program. James doesn't think he is overweight, but admits to loving fast food. His favorite meal is a "fryburger" — a hamburger with French fries on top, which he calls "flamingly delicious."
	Kevin, age 13, weighsed 230 lbs. at the start of the show and lost 52 lbs. with the program. Check out our post-show interview with Kevin. Kevin is very close to his father, who is his biggest motivator. He is very competitive and thrives in a team environment. Kevin was able to do six push-ups at the beginning of the program, more than any of the other kids.
	Kit, age 14, weighed 263 lbs. at the start of the show and lost 26 lbs. with the program. Check out our post-show interview with Kit. Kit is a talented artist and has been a bit sheltered by her parents. While she has never been able to do a push-up in her life, Kit is always the first to offer encouragement and friendship to the other kids in the program.
	Walter, age 14, weighed 285 lbs. at the start of the show and lost 64 lbs. with the program. Walter, who spends almost five hours a day playing video games, dreams of creating his own video games someday. He admits he has "not been very active" but promises he will stick with the program until the end. Walter's favorite food is a pizza burrito.