Team Members: Dolores Rocha and Karen Wright
Relationship: Friends
Team 8 Blog

Starting Weight: 368 lbs.
Last Weigh In: 305 lbs.
Loss Percentage: 17.25%

Karen Wright and Dolores V. Rocha have been friends for more than 20 years. Their involvement in this year’s Slim Down Challenge seems to be spawned from their close bond.
Dolores, a dispatcher for Cardinal Healthcare, is a breast cancer survivor of two years and currently a Diabetic. In spite of her health, Dolores maintains a stronghold on her life. As Dolores has beat breast cancer, she carries her same survival mentality into weight loss, and proudly proclaims, “You have to stay positive, keep going and never quit!”
Dolores’ initial introduction to getting back in shape was awakening, as she felt she nearly died attempting her first push-up. But it seemed to be an exquisite pain for a promising future. So far, Dolores has enjoyed going to the gym and feeling the changes in her body. “I’m looking forward to my new wardrobe,” Dolores says.
Karen, an AP Supervisor for Wal Mart, is hoping that to get back on track and live a happier, healthier life, like Dolores. Karen wants to enjoy life with her grandson, Travis. She also has some upcoming family events this year and wants to show off her new persona. “I want to feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit,” Karen says when she mentions her families upcoming 4th of July party.
As a girl who once rode a bicycle from Upland to Huntington Beach, Karen is applying the same tenacity to this Slim Down Challenge. Other than making her visits to the gym, Karen walks, rides the stationary bike and on occasion, plays wiffle ball with Travis.
Both seem to share the same obstacles with diet, however, as neither of them prefer vegetables, nor are they “salad people.” But since these two sirens have been in cahoots for so long, they’re slowly adapting to their new way of life through their close friendship. “We’re finally eating more asparagus, fish and chicken,” Dolores says.
Both are supportive of their competitors and they wish success to everyone in the competition.