Tara Costa: The Wrap
Can't let day get away without another word on Tara Costa, or as I refer to her: The Person Who Should Have Won "The Biggest Loser."
Here's my wrap in tomorrow's paper:
Don't worry. She's happy.
Tara Costa, runner-up in "The Biggest Loser" though arguably the most memorable female contestant in the franchise's history yesterday said it's all OK.
Really.
She means it (she says) and (really), she sounds like she does, too.
In a phone interview from California Wednesday morning after the upset that saw Bethpage's Costa fall just five pounds short of winning the season title, said: "Yeah, I worked my tail off and it didn't work out to my benefit but I came to the ranch [where the show is shot] long ago just wanting to change my life and now I can smile ear to ear because my life is going to change forever. I'm healthy. I'm happy. I feel good about every single thing I did while I was on the show, so no regrets. I played the game for myself that's why right now I can't help but feel grateful."
Costa and Helen Phillips - the winner who dropped 140 lbs. or 54.47% of her original body weight to Costa's 155 lbs. or 52.72% of her body weight - were the seventh season finalists, while fans voted in Michigan college student, Mike Morelli, as the third finalist. Costa admitted that she and Morelli were perhaps a little surprised at the tenaciousness of Phillips - who had long claimed that she never even really cared to win, but to just change her life; they were also surprised when they later learned she had once weighed 120 (or close to her winning weight of 117). Costa said she's never been slight, and during her run on the show struggled at times to lose additional weight as she built her muscles.
But no regrets. "I can't wait to explore Long Island," said the one-time model and financial analyst with L'Oreal. "I want to go out to the Hamptons and go the beach finally. I live on Long Island but I've never been to the beach and now I can go and have a good time. It's things like that. I will not allow myself to be disappointed because I came on the show with the intention of changing my life and leaving a completely different person. I won't allow myself to be upset."
Next up? She's meeting with "a few agents" to figure out her next opportunity. That's followed by photo shoots with Us Weekly and In Touch. Then, she's back in Bethpage on Saturday.
"There are millions of other Americans who would love to have the opportunity I've been given and I want to share the experience with them, and help them believe they have the power to change themselves too."
(Kevin Sweeny/STUDIO D, for Good Housekeeping; the new Tara.)