Sonya Jones | The Biggest Loser shares 'Minutes With Maxwell'
Former contestant on NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Sonya Jones, came in second place by only .01%: the closest loss in the history of the show. She lost 50.88% of her body fat vs. the winning total of 50.89%. Before she accomplished this feat, Sonya was an elementary school physical education teacher who struggled with the guilt of not feeling like an exemplary model of fitness for her students. She suffered from sleep apnea, high cholesterol, arthritis, high blood pressure and many other health problems. The final straw was when she learned that she was pre-diabetic. Her appearance on The Biggest Loser was her way of taking the initiative to change instead of continuing to feel dissatisfied with her physical and emotional state. Enough was enough.
During her time on the show, Sonya lost an astounding 144 pounds while inspiring thousands of viewers with her determination, resilience, and positive attitude. She has been featured in multiple magazines, interviews along with being awarded Security Bank’s Women of Influence Award! Her prior experience as an educator makes her no stranger to the business of changing lives. Her commitment to overcoming this grueling challenge adds another dimension to her ability to speak to one’s circumstances. Sharing her renewed sense of self, gratitude and faith in order to motivate and empower others to live the best life possible is what Sonya feels is called to do.
The overriding thread running through her life is being a person of impact. As she was growing up, people invested in her and that made her feel like she could conquer the world. “I want to be a catalyst for someone else,” said Jones, who became a teacher so she could inspire others. “I have the opportunity to impact the next generation. I have the best job on earth.”Dr. John Maxwell recently invited The Biggest Loser’s Sonya Jones to his live training event as part of his ‘Minutes With Maxwell series.’ Each episode in this motivational video series starts with a ‘word of the day’ followed by a corresponding story:
Dear Friend,
Today’s word is “strength”. I am overjoyed to be with Sonya Jones, who was a contestant on the hit reality show, “The Biggest Loser” and lost 144 lbs. Sonja is the perfect example of strength. Every day she has to do something that is not natural, fight a battle, change her habits, become disciplined, and find and use inner strength. No matter what your battle is or what you’re trying to achieve, you can find the resolve and make a positive change. Find your strength. Use it. If Sonya can do it, you can do it.
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