‘The Biggest Loser’ Contestant Says She “Died” During Season 8 Challenge, Opens Up In Netflix Doc

A Season 8 contestant from The Biggest Loser says she “died” while filming the hit weight-loss competition — and she’s opening up about the harrowing ordeal in Netflix’s new docuseries Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser.

Tracey Yukich recalls collapsing during the very first challenge, a grueling mile run on the beach where contestants faced elimination if they didn’t finish. “Being on the Biggest Loser is just like winning the lottery,” she says in the trailer. But within minutes, her body began shutting down.

“I don’t remember a lot. I remember hearing the helicopter. I just felt like I was floating, and then my grandpa was there. And then I saw darkness. But then I saw light,” Yukich shared. “So, I knew. I knew I died that day.”

After her teammates carried her across the finish line, Yukich collapsed and became unresponsive. Host Alison Sweeney recalled, “She collapsed right there on the other side of the finish line, and that’s when I realized there was a real problem.”

Fellow contestant Danny Cahill added, “I knew something more serious was happening because she was really not responding. When the helicopter came, we were all scared to death.”

Yukich was airlifted to a hospital and diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition that causes organs to fail. “It started with my liver, then it went to my kidneys and then it goes to your heart,” she said. “And that’s where I almost died.”

She spent nearly a month hospitalized, telling Fox News Digital that she “felt like a fish out of water” when she eventually rejoined the competition. “My experience was extremely hard. I wasn’t able to do what everyone else was doing, and I really felt isolated when I was there.”

Despite the near-death experience, Yukich refused to quit. “I needed to change my life,” she explained. “I just cheated death, completely cheated it. Didn’t die. It’s on.”

She later admitted the experience was both miserable and transformative. “I hated every day of it,” she said, “but at the same time, I wanted to be there.”

The Biggest Loser ran for 18 seasons on NBC and USA Network. Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser is now streaming on Netflix.