Ariel, age 14, is one of the six participants on ABC’s Shaq’s Big Challenge. When she first began the program, Ariel weighed 211 pounds. She has been put through a rigorous program to improve her overall health through diet and exercise. BuddyTV sat down with Ariel to talk about her time on the show so far and what it means to be a role model.


How would you describe yourself?

I like everything. I’m very big in music. I love music and everything that has to do with music. As long as it’s upbeat and happy, I like it but I really like Evanescence. I get along very easily with people. For some reason, I’m good with people and I have fun when I go out with my friends. My mom tells me I have a very strong personality! I don’t like to quit at anything I do. I love animals and books. I’m actually one of those kids that likes school.

What made you want to be part of Shaq’s Big Challenge?

For some reason, when I heard about it, I thought to myself, “Wow, this could change my life.” I’ve gone through some rough times in my life and I thought, if I could do Shaq’s Big Challenge, it would be this happy, positive, very entertaining thing in my life. I was just going through a rough patch I’d never get out of. I wanted to be healthier and I was not very happy with myself.

Can you talk a little bit about your food issues going into the challenge?

I’m an emotional eater which means when you’re very upset or get bad news, you turn to food to make yourself feel better. Your mind tells you, “Maybe you should eat something, it might make you feel better.” When you’re upset or unhappy, like I was, you would eat food.

Are there any foods you really miss having?

I don’t really miss it that much anymore because I haven’t had it in a very, very long time. But I do miss macaroni and cheese. Now, I don’t even remember what it tastes like.

How did you feel when you first met Shaq?

It was very crazy when I first met Shaq. Once he sat down, I started to calm down. I knew it was going to happen but it was a big surprise.

In the beginning, when everyone was slacking off at their workouts, did you think about the fact that you were being filmed and Shaq was probably watching?

Well, I knew. I knew there was going to be something. I said, “We should be doing what we’re doing.” I was wondering why we were just sitting there. I had no idea they were going to bring in [trainer] Mr. Tyler. I thought he was going to kill me. But the first week, I was ready for him to come in and take over. I perfectly respected him.

How do all the kids get along in Shaq’s program? Are you all friends because you’re going through similar things?

Yeah, we have kind of bonded. There are some rough patches. Kevin and I are very competitive because we both wanted to be the leader. I was very good at it and wanted to help everybody. I was teacher’s pet to Mr. Tyler. Now, we’re friends though.

What is the physical education program like at your school currently? How many days per week do you have gym?

Gym is voluntary, you don’t have to take it. If you don’t want to take it, they’ll switch you out. Even if you take gym, you didn’t have to do anything. They open the snack machines and people would sit, eat, and talk and not do anything for physical education.

Many kids and parents want to know how they can change their life and get into shape. What would you say to them?

Well, first, if you want to change and get into shape, you have to have the motivation. Most kids in America these days have the motivation and they want it but that’s the first step. Then, you have to find a way to work out and do cardio and stay active. You have to stay away from the fast food places and get rid of the bad stuff. There’s an alternative to what you like, for example, peanut butter and jelly. You can get sugar-free jelly and natural peanut butter with whole wheat bread. It’s a lot healthier. And also, you need more vegetables like a red pepper which gives you over 300 percent of your daily vitamin C.

What does it mean to you to be a role model to other kids?

It makes me feel so happy. I mean, I don’t get an airhead or anything but it makes me happy that other who were like me are getting better. It raises my confidence and I said, “Wow, I’m not the only one who wants to change.”

What are you hoping to be when you grow up and why is it important to be healthy to achieve that goal?

When I first started the program, I wanted to be a singer. Singers today make it look easy but if you want to perform on stage, in a concert, three hours long, you have to be fit to do that. You’re standing up, you’re jumping around, you’re losing your lung capacity and if you’re not healthy, you won’t make it the whole way. It’s very, very hard! I change my mind about what I want to be every now and then, but I still want to be a singer.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?

Wow, that’s a hard one! I’ve learned so many important lessons. The most important one is that being healthy is a good thing. A lot of people say, “Healthy people are fanatics and weird,” or something really stupid. It’s a good thing and it means you will outlive a lot of people! If you’re not healthy, you’re shortening your life span and if you do that, you’re not going to see many things.


-Interview conducted by Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of ABC)