Tired of her weight controlling her life, Hannah is ready to lose the weight, which she feels has made her "no longer a participant" in her own life. Hannah was born in Houston, Texas, and raised there and in Mobile, Alabama with three siblings. She earned a bachelor's degree in communications and public relations at the University of Alabama. In her high school days, she was the homecoming queen and star athlete, but avoided her 10-year high school reunion because, she says, "I was too ashamed to let everyone see what I've become." Weight didn't become an issue for Hannah until she was 20 years old. She had an accident, which resulted in emergency back surgery and ended her collegiate sports career. Feeling defeated, she began to gain weight. Now at 248 pounds, 32-year-old Hannah works in a department that designs her company's wellness program, but feels like a hypocrite. After she loses the weight and gets healthy, she hopes to become a role model to her co-workers, and also looks forward to having a dating life and getting back into organized sports.