Twenty-seven year old Bernie from Chicago, Illinois is an adorable and hilarious man whose energy never runs out. He was prom king back in high school, and was his university's homecoming king. A former dancer for the Matadors, a half time dance troupe for the Chicago Bulls, He has a winning personality combined with his weight, which he considers his selling point. His real name, Bernardo means "brave as a bear" in its Germanic roots. However, he feels that the more appropriate meaning would be "heavy as a bear." Bernie admitted, "This way I could attribute my large size to my namesake rather than a lack of motivation or self-esteem on my part." Single-handedly raised by his mother, Bernie did not have a rough childhood. Instead, his mother instilled in him a sense of self-worth and stressed the importance of education. She also taught him the value of respect for other people and the value of hard work, which will in turn help him achieve his goals. Aside from working on his master’s degree in Instructional Leadership, Bernie is also teaching English as a second language to parents in Chicago's Little Village Community. He admits that he is in constant pursuit of improving himself, but is worried that his obesity my pose as a risk for him to achieve his goals. His New Year's resolution is to take his shirt off at the beach.
Having no relationship whatsoever, Bernie and
Brittany Aberle teamed up as the Blue Team on NBC's The Biggest Loser 5. They entered the competition weighing 283 lbs. and 221 lbs., respectively. Bernie was eliminated on week 10.
Exclusive Interview with Bernie Salazar (Photo courtesy of NBC)