Irene was born and raised an only child in Portland, Oregon, and is finishing her last year at Portland State University, where she's studying anthropology, history and Latin American studies. She has been overweight most of her life, but especially in the last year and a half when she gained 90 pounds. The weight gain has caused her to be sick more frequently and has also triggered her asthma. Her two biggest supporters for going on the show were her mother, Ana, and her boyfriend. Irene says her mother has always put her first, but now it's time for her Mom to put herself first and get healthy. Now 26 years old and 255 pounds, Irene looks forward to being the first college graduate in her family, traveling with her mother to Mexico, and traveling the world with her boyfriend once she loses the weight and starts a "healthier and happier chapter" of her life.