Meet Tracey Yukich: Contestant from Season 8 of The Biggest Loser

Tracey Yukich faced a terrifying experience after enrolling in season 8 of The Biggest Loser in 2009.

A mother of four, Yukich began to gain weight during her pregnancy and battled depression while her then-husband was deployed. Ultimately, this weight gain prompted her to join The Biggest Loser, but her journey took a dramatic turn during the initial challenge when she encountered a medical emergency.

The contestants were taken to a beach where they learned they had to run a mile to determine who would officially participate in the show.

“In my mind, I thought, ‘I can run, I chase my four kids all the time.’ But it turned out to be the longest mile of my life,” Yukich recounted in the August 2025 Netflix documentary, Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser. She noted that she “didn’t pace herself,” and her body began to “shut down” as her legs felt like “lead.”

Yukich ultimately collapsed on the beach. Though she finished the race with the help of the other contestants, she collapsed again as soon as she crossed the finish line, becoming unresponsive. She was quickly airlifted to a local hospital.

“I felt like I was floating. … Then I saw my grandpa, followed by darkness, and then light, so I knew I had died that day,” Yukich explained, later discovering that she had rhabdomyolysis, a severe condition where damaged muscle tissue breaks down and enters the bloodstream.

Continue reading to learn more about Yukich:

What Inspired Tracey Yukich to Join ‘The Biggest Loser’?

After facing weight gain from pregnancy, struggling with depression, and dealing with marital issues, Yukich believed that the weight loss series could “fix” her.

“The thought of being on The Biggest Loser made me think … maybe it would mend my marriage, maybe it would help me,” she shared in an August 2025 episode of Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser. “I felt that my weight and everything it brought was a constant burden. I wanted to change my life, and at that moment, it felt like my only hope.”

Yukich mentioned that dealing with infidelity in her marriage was “just a snippet” of the issues between her and her former husband, which influenced her decision to join the show.

“I believed it was my fault because I was overweight,” she stated in the documentary. “I wanted to be respected, not yelled at or harmed, and I didn’t want anyone dictating what I could or couldn’t do.”

What Occurred with Tracey Yukich on ‘The Biggest Loser’?

During the inaugural challenge on The Biggest Loser, Yukich’s body began to “shut down” as she ran a mile along the beach. Although she completed the race with assistance from her fellow contestants, she collapsed right after crossing the finish line and became unresponsive. The mother was flown via helicopter to a local hospital and felt she “died that day.”

“I experienced darkness followed by light, which made me realize I had died that day,” she mentioned in Fit for TV, adding that she discovered she had rhabdomyolysis.

The show’s doctor, Robert Huizenga, later reflected on meeting Yukich at the hospital, where she expressed significant anger at the notion of returning home.

“She didn’t want to go home,” he observed.

Yukich further explained that she confided in Huizenga about her marital troubles and depression, prompting him to affirm that the reality TV series was “precisely what [she] need[s].”

“‘You need to go on the show, Tracey,’” she recalled him saying. “He continued, ‘You don’t need to revert to your past; you need to create a new life, starting here.’”

What is Tracey Yukich Up to Now?

After the show, Yukich divorced her former spouse and relocated to Texas, where she currently lives with her second husband and their blended family.

Although she remains uncertain about rejoining The Biggest Loser, Yukich acknowledged that the experience helped her “make significant changes in [her] life.” She even participated in the Boston Marathon alongside Huizenga.

“What an attitude this person has; they truly are a role model to me,” Huizenga remarked in the documentary.