The Biggest Loser: Glory Days eliminated one contestant for good and sent another to the show's new Comeback Canyon, where voted off contestants get another chance to potentially re-enter the game, during Thursday night's NBC broadcast of the reality weight-loss competition's sixteenth-season premiere.

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Zina Garrison, a 50-year-old professional tennis coach and former gold medal-winning tennis player from Hyattsville, MD, was ousted from the competition for good after she got sent to Comeback Canyon with fellow contestant Vanessa Hayden because they were the last players to complete the week's challenge.

At Comeback Canyon, veteran trainer Bob Harper works with two contestants, who get the boot from the ranch, every week. At the end of each week, there's a separate weigh-in. The person with the highest percentage of weight-loss at the end of the week will get to stay at the canyon for another week, while the other contestant must go home for good. Eventually, Bob will take only one contestant back to the ranch so they can rejoin the original competition and resume competing for the grand prize.

Vanessa, a 32-year-old child welfare specialist and former WNBA basketball player from Orlando, FL, beat Zina at Comeback Canyon's weigh-in. Vanessa dropped 14 pounds, falling from 366 to 352 pounds and posting a 3.83% weight-loss percentage. Zina lost only eight pounds the first week, dropping from 263 to 255 pounds and posting a 3.04% weight-loss percentage.

"Going home the first week, I'm a competitor. Of course it hurts. It's an experience where I'm definitely holding up a trophy. America, I want a gold medal. I've been in the finals of Wimbledon, but the next time you see me, I will have defeated the biggest opponent yet -- and that's my weight," Zina said after she got eliminated.

Later in the episode, Andrea Wilamowski got voted off the Blue Team led by newbie trainer Jessie Pavelka after they lost the season's first elimination weigh-in and her teammates believed she was their weakest link. Andrea, 43-year-old vice president of operations for the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders and former high school cheerleader from Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, will now join Vanessa at Comeback Canyon and train with Bob.

"I told Jessie that I wanted to go home. I absolutely told him that," Andrea said following her vote-off, referencing why she thinks her team let her go. "But unfortunately, I don't want to go home. It's really, really hard to go back on something that you promised your trainer you wouldn't do. I feel like I disappointed a lot of people. I feel like I've given away an incredible opportunity, one that I won't get back -- ever."

The Biggest Loser's sixteenth-season premiere broadcast began with 20 former athletes arriving at the ranch seeking to recapture their glory days. Once gathered at a stadium, the players met returning trainer Dolvett Quince along with Jessie and fellow newbie trainer Jennifer Widerstrom. The contestants had no idea Bob would be awaiting most of them at the canyon.

After weighing-in to learn their initial weights, the contestants worked out for the first time with the show's three trainers. John "JJ" O'Malley, a 22-year-old bouncer and former Arizona State University football player from Scottsdale, AZ, could barely get through the brutal workout. 

The contestants then participated in their first challenge of the season, which required them to grab a sand ball, race up a sand dune, run through a maze, crawl under a net, and then make their way to a collection of poles at the finish, where each trainer had a volleyball court. Dolvett would represent the Red Team, Jen would train the White Team, and Jessie was given the color Blue. The contestants had to place their ball in one of six spots open in front of each trainer to designate who would work with each trainer.

The two contestants to finish the challenge in last place believed they were getting eliminated from The Biggest Loser. Vanessa injured herself during the challenge and was taken away by medics. Zina fell at the finish line, before placing her ball in one of Jessie's remaining spots, and couldn't move. Both women got sent home only to soon learn they'd continue training at Comeback Canyon.

The rest of the contestants then trained extremely hard at their last-chance workouts. Mike Murburg, a 58-year-old attorney and former Princeton University football player and wrestler from Darby, FL, ended up tearing his meniscus in his knee.

Later on, The Biggest Loser's first weigh-in commenced. Host Alison Sweeney revealed the team to post the lowest percentage of weight-loss would be sent to the elimination room, where they must vote one person off. However, the individual on the losing team to post the highest percentage of weight-loss would receive immunity for the week.

The six members of Jen's White Team weighed-in first. Sonya Jones, a 39-year-old PE teacher/coach and former All American softball player from Springfield, IL, stepped on the scale first. She lost 23 pounds after dropping from 283 to 260 pounds.

Matthew Miller, a 31-year-old business entrepreneur and former high school football standout from Grove, OK, fell from 386 to 363 pounds, losing a total of 23 pounds. 

Rondalee Beardslee, a 28-year-old nursing student and former high school basketball, football and softball player from New Lothrop, MI, lost 14 pounds. She dropped from 280 to 266 pounds.

Toma Dobrosavljevic, a 33-year-old senior project manager and former high school soccer, football, volleyball and baseball player from Addison, IL, dropped from 336 to 316, losing 20 pounds.

Howard "Woody" Carter, a 46-year-old car salesman and former Arena League football player from Las Vegas, NV, lost 10 pounds, falling from 398 to 388 pounds.

Lastly, JJ fell from 392 pounds to 378 pounds. He shed 14 pounds.

As a result, the White Team lost a total of 104 pounds, posting an average 5.01% weight-loss percentage. Their numbers set the bar pretty high. Dolvett's Red Team would weigh-in next and they had to lose more than 104 pounds total to beat the White Team.

Red Team member Emmy Lou Munoz, a 32-year-old teacher and former high school softball, volleyball and track and field standout from Woodson, TX, fell from 260 to 254, losing only six pounds.

Blake Benge, an 18-year-old student and former high school soccer and track standout from San Clemente, CA, shed 16 pounds, falling from 251 to 235 pounds.

Jordan Alicandro, a 32-year-old regional sales manager and former high school baseball standout from Surrey, BC, Canada, lost 22 pounds. He dropped from 323 to 301 pounds.

Scott Mitchell, a 46-year-old bill collector and 12-year NFL veteran quarterback from Mapleton, UT, dropped from 366 to 343, losing 23 pounds.

Rob Guiry, a 26-year-old head rugby coach at Western New England University and former rugby player from Springfield, MA, shed 33 pounds after falling from 483 to 450 pounds.

Mike, despite his knee injury, lost a whopping 38 pounds. He dropped from 399 to 361 pounds.

The Read Team lost a total of 138 pounds and posted an average weight-loss percentage of 6.63%. The Red Team beat the White Team.

Jessie's Blue Team weighed-in last. His team was comprised of five women, so he knew they needed to post big numbers. As a whole, the team needed to shed more than 90 pounds to avoid the elimination voting room.

Gina Haddon, a 41-year-old makeup artist/photographer and former cheerleader from Rowlett, TX, dropped from 242 to 228 pounds, losing 14 pounds.

Andrea lost seven pounds after falling from 244 to 230 pounds.

Chandra Maple, a 26-year-old optometric technician and former high school softball and basketball standout from Dodge City, KS, fell from 341 to 334 pounds, losing seven pounds.

Jackie Pierson, a 36-year-old clinical care coordinator and former high school basketball MVP from Pacifica, CA, shed eight pounds. She dropped from 291 to 283 pounds.

Lori Harrigan-Mack, a 44-year-old director of hotel security and former three-time Olympic gold medal-winning softball player from Las Vegas, NV, dropped from 301 to 292 pounds. She lost nine pounds.

Damien Woody, a 36-year-old ESPN analyst and two-time Super Bowl champion from Mendham, NJ, shed only seven pounds. He fell from 388 to 381 pounds.

The Blue Team lost a total of 59 pounds, posting an average 3.27% weight-loss percentage.

As a result, the Red Team won the weigh-in and the Blue Team was forced to eliminate one of its own members. Jessie was disappointed his first weigh-in went down this way. Gina earned immunity for her high percentage of weight-loss.

In the voting room, Lori, Chandra, and Jackie all voted to oust Andrea from the game. Andrea voted for Damien while Damien voted for Chandra. They did not need to hear from Gina since three votes were enough to send Andrea out the door.

After Andrea arrived at Comeback Canyon, The Biggest Loser featured an update on Zina's weight-loss progress. Zina started the show at 263 pounds and currently weighs 223 pounds. She said she is still losing weight and now working as a tennis coach.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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