Despite being the best of friends, losing weight together is sure to bring out the competitive streak in both Ben and Kate. Strong-minded, but never without a reason to laugh, this pair will prove that fitness can be fun.
Ben Powell
Age: 34
Occupation: Public Servant
State: ACT
Now: 159.9kg
Goal: 95kg
Public servant and rugby aficionado Ben Powell has always been super active, but love of the post-match party lifestyle has led him to his current weight of around 160kg.
At 34, Ben says, “Now that I’m too old to be playing rugby, I’ve found myself in a new space and I want to use it to lose weight, get healthy and move into the next phase of my life, which is settling down and hopefully having a family.
“Life has been a good one so far. I’ve never let my weight stop me doing anything. It would be a cop out to say my life has been affected by my weight, except for the odd comment here and there, but that’s life! Really, I’ve never given getting healthy a red hot go and that is what I want to do. I will put everything into it.
“My partner for the Second Chance Challenge is my good friend Kate whom I met on a tour of America in 2004. We spent a lot of time on a bus from New York to LA and a lot of nights out drinking during that time. You get to know someone really well during that kind of debauchery!
“Kate rang me and said she needed a partner for this challenge. I bribed her by making her do my application! Gotta love that girl. I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else!”
Ben admits, “I know that it will be super hard work day-in, day-out and that scares me a bit!”
Click to enlarge photos
Kate before
Ben before
Kate Smith
Age: 31
Occupation: Account Executive
State: SA
Now: 118kg
Goal: 66kg
“My life is great,” says 31-year-old Kate Smith from SA, “but my weight has always been an issue. I want to be able to keep up with my fantastic husband and be able to do all the energetic and adventurous things we want to do.”
Kate’s battle started at age 15 when a knee injury triggered her to put on weight, something which she has struggled with ever since. Kate admits, “I’ve always loved food and I have a tendency to overdo it and eat too much.”
If she doesn’t tackle her weight issues now, Kate believes she might never do it. Deep down she is afraid that her husband Mark might give up on her. “I ‘talk the talk’ about losing weight but never seem to ‘walk the talk,’” says Kate.
Fun-loving Kate feels that she and Ben are quite similar and says of him, “He is one of the funniest people I have ever met and I think that we will have lots of fun along the way.”
Meet the Second Chance couples