by Gina Scarpa

 

This season on The Biggest Loser, there were clear leaders from the very beginning. Justin Pope led his team, while Marci Crozier led hers. Though they were on opposite sides of the competition, they were similar in many ways. Both led by example and both chose to leave the competition so that a team member in need could stay and get the help they needed. Today, we spoke to Justin in an exclusive interview about his leadership, the competition, and his goal for finale night!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Whose idea was it to go on The Biggest Loser - yours or Rulon's?
A. Justin: It was Rulon's idea.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You stepped up, very early on, as the leader of your team. Is that a position that you wanted or were given?
A. Justin: I was not given this duty. I'm just who I am. I walked into this experience just being myself and everyone, in turn, followed my lead and looked up to me.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Tell us a little bit about your relationship with Brett and Cara and what you learned from them.
A. Justin: I have a great relationship with them. I feel like those of us who chose to go to the ridge will always have a close relationship with them because we were their first. Brett is an amazing trainer and he taught me all the intervals and metabolic resistance training and heart rate - basically, practical workouts for the rest of my life that I don't have to spend an enormous time in the gym. I find his advice to me, at home, has been spot on.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You were very open with your emotions on the show. Are you that way in life or did something bring that out in you?
A. Justin: I have typically shown very little emotion in the past, but when I showed up at The Biggest Loser, I decided I wanted to change so I laid it all out there. I didn't put anything in my mouth that I wasn't supposed to eat, laid it all on the line in every workout, and didn't care if everyone or anyone was watching me. I started to become an improved person. Maybe the tears or the emotions were being held back in the past because I was guarded or living a lie. This was the experience where I had to lay it all out, emotionally.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: There seemed to be a lot of gameplay and strategy this season. What were your thoughts on it?
A. Justin: I don't really feel like there was a lot of gameplay. If gameplay is protecting the people around you that you have relationships with, then life is all about gameplay. The black team loved each other and was as loyal to each other as the red team was. The way it looked is that the red team was the only one with alliances, but the black team was just as loyal to each other. When it came right down to it, Q took the sword first, then Marci and then me, so it looks like morality won out over gameplay.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did Ken throw the weigh-in on purpose so that another team would face elimination?
A. Justin: No, Ken pushed it and lost as much weight as he could. Unfortunately, Kaylee didn't get her desires and the rest of us all learned a lesson. Typically, on a head to head week, you fight and scratch and kick for every ounce of weight you can get off of you, but when you think someone is ready and going home, you don't push every button that you typically would. It's not like everyone didn't work as hard as they would have, but you didn't have to fight for every ounce of the weight, so when Brett made his comment, it was to all of us and not just Ken.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You offering to leave the competition could have been a $250,000 decision. Was it a tough one to make?
A. Justin: No, the right decision is never a tough decision.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How confident are you that you can win The Biggest Loser at home?

A. Justin: I'm confident that I am going to weigh 199 lbs at the weigh in! If anybody else wants to step up and beat me, I will be damn proud of them too!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Are you going to continue training others?
A. Justin: Absolutely! I found a new calling in life. I don't totally understand why people flock to me or look up to me, but it is what it is and if it's a gift, I better share it! Plus, I get more out of it than I give!

 

The Biggest Loser airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa