Ryan Loriault is quite literally half the man he was - and he wants to show people around the world they, too, can transform their lives.
A few years ago, Loriault weighed in at an unenviable 400 pounds, a worrying situation connected to, and compounded by, a serious health issue stemming from a high-stress IT job in Alberta.
However, after moving back to his native B.C., Loriault, who works in the Richmond Olympic Oval café, discovered that simple exercise and a new eating regime resulted in dramatic weight loss and improvements in his health.
Now he wants to share his experience and inspire others by winning a $10,000 TV show-making contest.
But, with only three days left to vote, he needs the public's help to push him ahead of some serious competitors.
"A lot of people simply don't enjoy the fitness opportunities that are out there, so I want to show them and, perhaps, encourage others to reach the goals I have," said Loriault, 31, who now weighs just 186 pounds and has his own YouTube channel called "Ryansonebelt."
"I plan to make a show where I go around the world finding new forms of fitness and making people laugh while I do it.
"I feel in a world of heart disease, diabetes and morbid obesity, getting people excited about fitness is so important."
If Loriault wins the contest, run by Kindsnacks, he'll make a pilot for the TV show in Vancouver in a bid to spark interest further afield.
To vote for Loriault and read his full story, go to www.tinyurl.com/ryantvshow.
