Ada Wong, finalist on NBC’s The Biggest Loser and Gilroy native, received a special commendation from the Gilroy City Council at their meeting Monday night.
“Ada was the undisputed fan favorite of the season, and was the overwhelming vote getter for the last remaining finalist spot,” said Mayor Al Pinheiro during the presentation.
Wong’s parents emigrated from China and settled down in Gilroy, the town where she and her younger brother grew up. She was well known for her personality and academic achievement, struggling with obesity as she went on to study business administration at the University of San Francisco, according to her Web site.
As a 27-year-old contestant on the show, Wong lost 99 of 258 pounds and adopted a healthy lifestyle that she continues to practice. She told staff that she recently ran in the Boston Marathon and was running the Big Sur Marathon last weekend.
“Because of the show, my whole life has changed dramatically,” she said, “I’ve been committed to being a fitness ambassador, and I’ve started working at local schools and with children to promote a healthy lifestyle.”
The Gilroy native was the second runner-up in season ten of the show, finishing the Biggest Loser Marathon with the winning time and setting a new female record of 4:38:48, according to her bio.
Wong received cheers and applause as she accepted the award.
“Council member Bob Dillon, as soon as he found out about this event, sent me an email and said ‘We should track this lady down and congratulate her on a job well done,” Mayor Pinheiro said.
Check back on Gilroy Patch for a full report of the council’s meeting.
