Hometown: Mesa, Arizona
Occupation: Special education teacher/football coach

John Rhode says his family is his main motivation for going on "The Biggest Loser." He hopes to lose weight so he can live life to the fullest with his wife of 18 years and the two sons, ages five and eight, that they adopted from eastern Europe. John was born in Kennewick, Washington, and grew up the middle child of three. He became overweight in the third grade, as he had a troubled childhood at home.

He got in shape in high school, active in both football and track and field, and went on to get an Associate of Arts degree from Utah Valley Community College and a bachelor's degree in management from Ottawa University. John, who comes from an overweight family, became heavy again in his early twenties.

Fertility issues led his wife and him to adopt, and the unsuccessful attempt to adopt a Russian baby girl after their first successful adoption, as well as the delayed adoption of their disabled son, Dimitri, all played a part in John's continued weight gain.

Now 40 years old and 445 lbs., John works with emotionally disabled high school students, a passion of his that he recently discovered. He looks forward to skydiving after he gets in shape and living an active life with those he describes as "the best wife and kids a guy could ever want."