Thirty-two-year-old Brendan grew up in Boston, the middle child of three boys. He was an athlete in high school despite his weight, and went on to earn a degree in criminology at Florida State and then a master's degree in special education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. He thinks poor diet, lack of motivation and no exercise as an adult contributed to his current weight of 362 pounds. The weight gain has had an impact on his personal and professional life. Four years ago, he pushed away and lost his fiancée because he couldn't deal with his weight issues. Formerly a police officer, he's now a special education teacher and the creator of an afterschool weightlifting/wellness program for inner city kids in Boston - but he feels like it's hypocritical to teach students how to eat healthy and exercise when he doesn't do that himself. Brendan was inspired by fellow Bostonians and Season 5 contestants Mark and Jay Kruger, and hopes to gain everything back in his life that he lost due to his obesity and bad habits. He looks forward to being a better role model to his students, and fitting in the seats at Boston's famed Fenway Park once he loses the weight.