Springfield, Illinois Native to Compete on ‘The Biggest Loser’

The upcoming season of 'The Biggest Loser' will feature two contestants from the state of Illinois, one of them from Springfield.

'The Biggest Loser: Glory Days' kicks off its season in September. 39-year-old Sonya Jones from Springfield is one of the 20 new contestants for the show, which will focus on former athletes trying to lose weight. Jones is a former All-American softball player, and is currently a PE teacher.

According to NBC, Jones was born in Springfield and grew up in Litchfield. She played fast-pitch softball at Greenville College, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Physical Education. Jones says a number of health issues related to her weight have lead her to 'The Biggest Loser.' Jones' starting weight on the show will be 283 pounds.

Another Illinois resident, 33-year-old Toma Dobrosavljevic of Addison, will also compete. Dobrosavljevic is a former high school soccer, football, volleyball, baseball player. He says that he was recently informed by a life insurance company that his weight made him "barely insurable." Dobrosavljevic will begin the season weighing 336 pounds.

Other contestants on the upcoming 16th season of 'The Biggest Loser' will include former NFL players, a former WNBA star, Olympic gold medalists, and several former high school and college athletes.

'The Biggest Loser' airs locally on WGEM. The season premiere is set for September 11 at 7 p.m. CT.