Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee
Occupation: Home health therapist

At 46 years old and 348 lbs., Joe Mitchell says his biggest motivation for going on "The Biggest Loser" is his wife of 25 years, as well as his 10-year-old daughter and two-year-old son. Joe and his wife adopted their son, and he fears he may have saved him from a bad situation only to bring him into another one if his obesity and poor health prevent him from being there for his son as he grows up.

Joe was born in Cleveland, Ohio with two older brothers, and lived there and in Laurens, South Carolina while growing up. He was heavy as a child, but slimmed down when he started playing sports as a teenager and through college. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy, and started putting the weight back on at age 26.

The weight gain continued, which strained his relationship with his father who was embarrassed by Joe's weight. Joe promised his father before his Dad died that he would lose the weight for his family.

And as a home health therapist, he also knows that getting healthy would give him more credibility with his patients. Joe looks forward to losing the weight so he can go zip lining and hiking, and enjoy other adventures with his family.