‘Loser’ contestant comes to town
Amber Butler, owner of Precision Pilates in downtown Spokane, is proud to call her mom and sister big losers. In fact, she wishes she could call them the Biggest Losers. Unfortunately, her mother Bette-Sue Burklund, won’t be able to claim that title, but there’s still a chance Butler’s sister Ali, will.
Butler’s mom and sister, both from Mesa, Ariz., were contestants on the popular NBC show “The Biggest Loser.” The mother/daughter Pink team was voted off in week four. When Bette-Sue visited Spokane recently, Butler hosted a party at the Onion restaurant in downtown Spokane, in her honor. A large crowd gathered to meet Burklund and to watch a special episode of “The Biggest Loser” with her.
Burklund said she never would have gone on the show if not for Ali. “She really wanted to go. I was ready to go to Mexico and get lap band surgery.”
After their August audition in Mesa, Burklund was confident they’d be selected. “I knew TV would like a mother/daughter combo,” she said. Sure enough, one day before filming began they were notified that they’d been chosen.
Back in Spokane, Amber Butler was thrilled with the news. “I’ve always been into health and fitness,” she said. “We have a family history of heaviness and heart disease. I just didn’t want to go there.” Watching her mother and sister struggle with the consequences of weight gain and lack of exercise saddened her.
She and Ali had been champion synchronized swimmers in their youth. She said as Ali gained weight, “not just her body changed.” Their contrasting lifestyle choices meant she and her sister had less in common as the years went by. In addition to Butler’s concerns about her sister, she worried about her mom’s health. Burklund’s heart had stopped beating when she underwent an angiogram in 2006. “I freaked out,” Butler said. “It was a wake-up call.”
Filming began at The Biggest Loser Ranch in California in October. Life on the ranch proved to be a struggle for Burklund. “After 30 years of not doing anything, I thought I was going to die!” she said with a groan. “My feet killed me for three weeks. I would have fired the trainers if they’d made me work so hard at home.”
But the hard work coupled with the luxury of having nothing to focus on except losing weight, paid off. Burklund lost 37 pounds in five weeks. Then, due to a twist in the show, she and Ali were voted off.
“We were not ready to leave,” Burklund said. That’s why she was so excited to watch the March 11 show with her daughter Amber. On that episode those who’d been voted off came back for a special weigh-in. The man and the woman who’d lost the highest percentage of weight after leaving the show were invited to return.
The back room at The Onion swelled with patrons wearing pink to support Bette-Sue and Ali. During commercial breaks Bette-Sue autographed photos for the crowd. A “Biggest Loser” hopeful attended the event, looking for some tips. Sarah Geile recently traveled from Spokane to Burbank to audition for the show. She said, “I’ve been heavy all my life.” She’s hoping to appear on the show to lose weight and get in shape for her Sept. 20 wedding.
While in town, Burklund has been exercising at Butler’s studio. “I’ve burned more calories working out with Amber,” she said. “I whine a lot and she just kisses me and drags me along. I’ve lost 65 pounds total.” The contestant who loses the most weight after being voted off the show will be awarded $100,000.
Amber Butler is delighted by the change in her mom. “She wouldn’t necessarily do this for herself,” she said. “But when she could step up for Ali, she did.”
Friends and fans enjoyed watching “The Biggest Loser” with the former contestant. “Vote him out in April!” Burklund yelled, as the face of her one-time nemesis appeared onscreen.
And then came the moment of truth as Ali stepped on the scale. Cheers and screams erupted when the results were announced. Ali had lost 67 pounds and was invited back onto the show. “That’s my baby!” hollered a teary-eyed Burklund.
It was a moment of triumph for this proud mama. As she reflected on her experience on the show, Burklund admitted it had been a challenge. At 53, she was the oldest female competitor. “It sucked every day. It wasn’t convenient, but I did it.”