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Eye of the Winning Biggest Loser Tiger with Champ Helen Phillips
by Troy Rogers
 When
it comes to losing weight and transforming your
life, is it the eye of the tiger or the thrill
of the fight that keeps you going to victory?
Fans of The Biggest Loser couldn't have asked
for a better nail-biting three-hour season finale
of The Biggest Loser Couples on May 12 when all
of the competitors returned to give loyal TV weight
watchers season ending updates, reveals, and a
number of weight-loss surprises. When the finale
began, father and son team, Ron and Mike Morelli,
waited as fans voted Mike into the final round
as one of the three season ending Biggest Loser
competitors alongside former model, Tara Costa,
and self proclaimed 48-year old "domestic engineer",
Helen Phillips.
Although Mike and Tara proved to be stiff competition when all three stepped on to The Biggest Loser scales for a final time, it was Helen who began rising to the challenge of her rivals and walked away with the Biggest Loser crown to become the winner of the second outing of The Biggest Loser Couples. However, prior to Helen claiming victory, the night was filled with at-home reveals and transformations from the season eliminees who all won their own individual weight-loss battles. Although it was Mike, Tara and Helen in the official final weigh-in, one of the biggest surprises of the night came when 64-year old retired engineer, Jerry Hayes, walked on to The Biggest Loser stage a new man after losing a whopping 177 pounds and over 47% over his body weight to win the $100,000 at home prize. With Helen losing over 54% body weight and Jerry looking like a movie star from the Golden Age of Hollywood, The Biggest Loser Couples finale proved that age doesn't matter when it comes to transforming your body and leading a healthy lifestyle.
 The
very next morning we hopped on the phone scales
to join a conference call with the winner of
The Biggest Loser Couples, Helen Phillips, to
ask a couple of quick questions and to find
out when she started to believe a Biggest Loser
victory was a tangible reality, what it felt
like to beat out competitors half her age, and
how it feels to be a weight-loss celebrity after
winning The Biggest Loser Couples.
And now with the championship title of The Biggest Loser Couples in her curvy back-pocket, hanging tough, staying hungry, turning passion into glory, Helen is watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger.
THE DEADBOLT: At what point did you seriously start to think you could win this thing?
HELEN PHILLIPS: When I was at home and I knew I was working out so hard. I was dedicating six hours a day to my workouts and I wasn’t getting tired anymore. I was so dedicated and focused to this ... And I looked at my trainers and they looked at me, and they said, "You are remarkable." I was actually working them out at the end. [Laughs]
 My
trainers couldn’t keep up with me and these
are big football coaches, it was hilarious.
I was laughing and I’d look at them while we
were working out, and I’m like, "I’m gonna win
this thing." And they would just look at me,
and they’re like, "We know." We would just laugh.
I don’t know, I knew it was going to happen
for me. I just knew it because I didn’t think
anybody was working as hard as me. But I don’t
know, I didn’t expect to get as low as I did.
It just happened for me and my body responded
well to everything that I was putting it through.
THE DEADBOLT: I’ll admit I was a little surprised myself.
HELEN: Were you?
THE DEADBOLT: Yeah, honestly, I really thought Mike was going to win the whole thing.
HELEN: Yeah, I think a lot of people thought Mike was going to take it.
THE DEADBOLT: Well, speaking of Mike, how much of an ego boost was it to take the title away from these kids half your age?
 HELEN:
I know, and that even makes me feel better,
because - You know what I think? Being 48 and
going through everything I went through just
makes me a stronger person now. I have a second
chance at life now and it feels good to be able
to say that, you know? It feels good to say
I’m 48 and I’m stronger than a 24 and an 18
year old. Well, I don’t know if I’m stronger
than them, maybe that’s not the right thing
to say, because - You know what? Mike and Tara
certainly worked hard. I know they did and they
look fantastic and I couldn’t be happier for
their weight loss. But it does feel good, let
me tell you [laughs].
THE DEADBOLT: What’s it like being a celebrity now?
HELEN: I guess I don’t feel like a celebrity, you know? I mean, I still feel like Helen, and what I want to do is just get the message out to a lot of middle-aged women, mothers and fathers as well out there. This is a possibility for everyone. If I can go through this and do this and accomplish this, so can they. They don’t need to settle because they’re middle-aged. You know, get on a diet, a nutritional plan, go to the gym workout and start. Do it with your family, make it a family affair.
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