Meet the Team

Kwinten M. Kemp, LPC

Kwinten is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. He has studied and employs research backed methods of guiding people through the weight loss process. He also has additional training in treating Eating Disorders, Over Eating and Obesity. He is a Certified Therapeutic Weight Management Specialist. He has spearheaded work in helping clients work through the underlying emotional struggles that many times underpin weight and body image problems. He has provided his clinical support to various wellness programs and Spas such as TurningLeaf Wellness Center, The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge, Green Valley Spa, Utah’s Live in Fitness Camp, and Premier Fitness Camp. Kwinten has also co-hosted fitness retreats. He and his wife, Gina, founded The Greater You, Inc in order to support the health, wellness, and weight loss efforts of people around the globe. Gina has also contributed significantly to developing our programs and has gone through her own journey of overcoming eating disorders. Together they feel fortunate to work with such promising and talented Body Appreciation Coaches that you will find at The Great You. Kwinten also runs a private practice for counseling in beautiful Park City, Utah where he works with couples, teens, and families in the area providing a wide scope of services. He enjoys spending time with his family. He also enjoys mountain biking, snow boarding, and the out doors.

Erik Chopin

Erik Chopin is the Winner of NBC’s The Biggest Loser Season 3. He lost the most of weight on the show that year and held that record until the Season 8’s winner broke it. Erik lost a staggering 214 lbs in just 8 months, going from 407 lbs to 193 lbs. But, what many may or may not know is that he also gained most of it back just two years later. He found himself in the same situation of having to lose it all again, as many people have, but this time he gained more than he did the first time by tapping into the reasons of why he gained it in the first place.

“I figured out the missing pieces to maintaining the healthy lifestyle. It wasn’t just healthy eating and getting exercise and I want to share my journey with you. We have worked hard to assemble a team of counselors and life coaches that will mentor you in your journey to keep the weight off for good. For me, it had a lot to do with retraining my mind and heart for the long term lifestyle commitment of health and wellness. It also had a lot to do with discovering my drive to help others to succeed in your journey to their own wellness. Join me for one on one coaching sessions and weekly teleconferences to reveal the missing pieces inside you.”

Since his win in 2006, Erik travels the country as a Motivational Speaker and has lectured at many elementary and high schools, health clubs, corporate headquarters, youth weight loss camps and at various health and wellness expos. He has appeared on television shows such as the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, The Today Show, Neil Cavuto, Entertainment Tonight, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, Access Hollywood and local News affiliates. His many interviews have also appeared in such publications and local newspapers as The New York Times, People Magazine, and US Weekly.

Erik earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Hofstra University in 1998, and then went on to open his own business in the food industry 2004. He sold that business in 2008, to pursue his motivational speaking engagements and a career in Accounting with his family’s business. He is also a Certified Life Coach and Spinning Instructor.
Erik is married to Michele and they have three children ages 10, 8 and 3.

Matt Hoover

Matt Hoover was born and raised in the small Iowa town of Belle Plaine. Matt became one of the best high school wrestlers in state history by winning two state championships, earning all-American status and representing the United States in international competition. Dan Gable, former Olympic Gold Medalist and University of Iowa wresting coach, recruited Matt to wrestle for the University of Iowa, the top college wrestling program in the nation.

Matt was a member of the Iowa wrestling team for four years, wrestling in the 177 and 190 pound weight classes, but he never achieved his wrestling goals. After his wrestling career ended, Matt struggled with his failure to live up to the standards that were set for him—not winning an individual national title, not competing on the international circuit, and, most of all, not competing in the Olympics. He felt as if the true physical challenges in life had passed him by and he had failed. As a result, Matt lost the motivation to stay fit, healthy, and athletic. He ultimately developed severe eating and drinking problems, became severely overweight, and all aspects of his life suffered as a result.

In February of 2005, Matt was cast to be on NBC’s hit reality TV show “The Biggest Loser 2” and his life changed forever. Matt arrived at The Biggest Loser Ranch in March of 2005 weighing 339 pounds.

Matt’s experience at the ranch was an emotional journey to say the least. He battled and confronted the inner demons that caused his eating and drinking problems, his weight gain, and his unachieved athletic goals. During the filming of the show Matt also lost his uncle to heart failure, further emphasizing that an unhealthy lifestyle not only affects his life but also the lives of all those who love him and count on him. Matt survived various "eliminations" on the ranch, making it to the final three, and leaving the ranch weighing 230 pounds.

Matt returned to his home environment with the knowledge that he would need to continue to lose weight and stay healthy in order to win on the show and in life. At the Biggest Loser 2 Live Finale, which aired on November 29, 2005, Matt won the show's grand prize of $250,000 by weighing 182 pounds. During his time with The Biggest Loser 2, Matt lost a grand total of 157 pounds (over 46% of his body weight).  In becoming The Biggest loser, Matt became a winner because he “has his life back”, continues to live his healthy lifestyle, and has remained sober since his first day on the ranch.

Since the Finale, Matt has shared his story on Regis & Kelly, the Today Show, Access Hollywood, the Tyra Banks Show, Larry King Live and most recently the Oprah show. He has been featured in Time, People Magazine, In Touch Magazine, US Weekly as well as several other publications. Matt was a special guest at the VH1 “Big In 2005 Awards”, on the NBC airing of the “Radio Music Awards”, as well as countless other print and web publications. Matt is currently sharing his story of health, wellness and weight loss as a public speaker to groups and organizations of all types.  Matt’s first book, “Matt Hoover’s Guide to Life, Love, and Losing Weight was published in 2008.  He continues to inspire others by completing the world famous Kona Ironman course in October 2009, a triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run with a 17 hour cut-off. He recently finished Ironman Florida in 2010.

Matt has chosen to become a life coach in order to help others achieve the success in life that they deserve.  He uses his own past experience to help others see that they too can live amazing lives.

Matt and his wife Suzy, who he met on the show, have two boys, Rex (3 years) and Jax (2 year). They live in Seattle, WA.

Tara Costa

About Tara Costa
After loosing a whopping 155 pounds on “The Biggest Loser”, fan favorite Tara Costa has gone on to motivate thousands through personal appearances, media and social outreach. “I want to encourage people to do things they never thought possible, and inspire them to lead a healthy lifestyle,” shares Tara.

Don’t tell Tara she cannot do something because she will prove to you she can. During season 7 of NBC’s hit series “The Biggest Loser”, Tara proved that where there’s a will there’s a way. During her 18 weeks on campus, she never “fell below the yellow line”. She won a record-setting eight challenges, the most of any contestant in show history, although most fans remember Tara as the contestant who dramatically pulled a car during one challenge.   Week after week, Tara inspired millions with her heart, spirit and determination as she shared with the world her personal journey of losing 155 lbs (52.72% of her body weight).

Tara’s story begins on Long Island, where she grew up in a small town and developed a dynamic personality and positive attitude about life. As a product of a single-parent home, Tara learned about the importance of being independent, in addition to the personal achievements that occur from having a strong personal sense of determination. Tara gained confidence and became a successful plus-size model for a top New York modeling agency at the age of thirteen.  She was featured in industry-leading catalogues such as Tommy Hilfiger, Emme, Macy’s, Lane Bryant and K-Mart. She graduated from New York University with Honors and soon after accepted a finance position at the largest beauty company in the world.

Tara’s immediate success in the business world was compromised by personal issues causing her to gain weight and lose self-confidence. She quickly amassed close to 300 lbs. on her former model’s body frame! Fortunately, some real-life reality checks in addition to her strong inner spirit helped her decide to change her life and get healthy.  In September 2008, Tara decided to leave her job and her life in New York to change her life and get healthy. Weighing 294 when she arrived at The Biggest Loser campus, Tara immediately set the tone for how to work hard, push herself and never quit. In May 2009 Tara delighted fans when she returned for the show’s season finale weighing in at a healthy and inspired 139 lbs.

Already featured on the covers of magazines including Good Housekeeping, OK Magazine (twice) and Women’s World, Tara is excited about her life and exploring all of the opportunities that are presented. She’s addressed numerous groups at speaking engagements around the US, has acted as a virtual personal trainer for clients, has gone back to school for a masters in physical education and is a life coach focusing on weight loss.

With a new-found love for racing, from marathons to triathlons and anything in between, Tara has vowed to continue pushing herself to new limits and to inspire others by creating her own nonprofit foundation focused on inspiring others to find their passion for embracing positive changes in their lives.  This lead to the establishment of The Inspire Change Foundation – www.inspirechangefoundation.org

Tara has vowed to keep pushing herself…as an American symbol of the benefits that inner strength, determination and spirit can bring, she wants to inspire others to change and lead healthier lives by coaching, mentoring and educating people to realize their true potential and self worth.    

 

Melissa Rourke, Lead Body Appreciation Coach, CEG, J.D.

Melissa is a uniquely driven, independent, and self-motivated woman. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Yale University, graduating with distinction in her major. She then earned a law degree from Georgetown University. Over the years her jobs have included White House Intern for then-Vice President Gore, and legal extern at the Washington State Supreme Court. Until she recently, she was a successful environmental lawyer in Washington State. She now devotes herself full time to her coaching clients. 

Despite her accomplishments, Melissa struggled with her weight as a child, teenager, and into her adult life. She tried different diets on occasion, but was never able to achieve sustained weight loss. She was on the rowing team in high school and college. She loved the feeling of being an athlete, but her issues with weight and body image kept her from reaching her full potential in the sport. Over time, her weight continued to climb.

By the time she turned 30, she had a body mass index that put her in the morbidly obese category. She was overwhelmed, and sick of her struggle with weight, emotional eating, and poor body image. She felt something had to give. She tried a prepackaged meal plan, and after losing some weight began to slowly increase her activity level. She had some initial success, and then about a third of the way through her weight loss journey, she hit a plateau. Emotions that she had buried with food for years began to surface. Determined not to backslide as she had in the past, she sought out help. Through a friend’s referral, she met Kwinten Kemp and became a client of The Greater You. With the help of Kwinten and Erik Chopin, she has done the hard work to sort through her own emotional barriers to weight loss. Melissa has lost more than 100 pounds over the last two years. She now loves spin classes, and finds exercise relaxing.

Melissa knows first hand what it is like to try to achieve significant weight loss and fitness goals while maintaining a full time, demanding career. She used to feel as though she had no time to eat well or work out. Developing her own personalized fitness, wellness, and eating program has been key for her. Additionally, learning to manage emotions without turning to food is integral. She believes strongly in dropping the deprivation and “diet” mentality and instead creating a fit lifestyle. It takes hard work and determination but it can be done!

As a Lead Body Appreciation Coach, Melissa has achieved the highest level of training and certification offered by The Greater You. She is also a graduate of Coach U’s Core Essentials Program (CEG). Melissa is the co-author of The Greater You’s fitness and nutrition planning workbook, Create Your Greater You: Design Your Fit Lifestyle, and is currently working towards a personal training certification. Find out more about Melissa and her journey at melissarourke.com

Melissa looks forward to meeting you and helping you reach your own goals!

Leah M Olson

Does it seem impossible to see through your love/hate relationship with food? As though there is no possible way to ever rid your mind of the constant hold it has on you? I promise that there is finally a way to break free of the barriers keeping you captive from permanent weight loss, health and well-being. That way is through the help of learning emotional mastery. After 6 years of struggling with exercise bulimia I thought there was absolutely no way out. I gave up on the idea that there was a life outside of the constant control food held over me. I desperately sought the "miracle diet" and perfect exercise plan to shed the unwanted pounds that had crept up on me through yo-yo dieting and had finally given up on the idea that I could conquer this battle on my own. I received treatment at a rehab center in Washington State, which was the start for me in learning to slow down and helped me see what my life had become and where it was heading. Although I learned much while away, a year later I was falling back down into that bottomless pit of despair-- I wasn’t ready to let go of my disorder and knew I hadn't found the right approach for healing.

I decided to attend a fitness retreat in Utah hoping that the structure of this kind of program would help me structure my life in both nutrition and fitness. I spent 3 months at a retreat in the Salt Lake City area and then an additional month at Fitness Ridge in Southern Utah. This is also when I found Kwinten Kemp, LPC who presented lectures at both facilities and offered therapy to their clients. While there, I was able to begin my therapy with him. He and his wife Gina, who did coaching sessions with me in addition to my therapy, have been a God send in my life. After 3 months of hard physical work in the gym and mental work with Kwinten I came home with a new perspective and life goal. I realized that when I finally broke free from my barriers I had a desire to help others who have struggled as I have by becoming a Body Appreciation Coach. In the past I thought running for hours at a time or staying on the elliptical or stair master machine was all I needed, and all I knew how to do or felt comfortable with, but at the retreats I learned how to weight train and fell in love with it. It became a new tool for me to build strength that I didn’t know I had. I knew that what I was learning both physically and emotionally were tools I could share to help others.

After working with Kwinten and his therapeutic approach for over a year I started seeing "the light". As I began to master my emotions it was as though the strong and confident person laying dormant in me was finally able to breathe again and speak up for myself. The emotional mastery has been a key in conquering the control food has had over me. Once I made the decision to live again and live free of my eating disorder barriers, losing weight didn’t seem impossible and life began to feel easier. Emotional food binges, which were once my place of secrecy and momentary happiness no longer seemed as tempting. The chains holding me back finally were beginning to break.

My goal is to help you find your way to emotional freedom and freedom from food addiction. I want everyone who has struggled this way to know about The Greater You program, because it works. I am a living example.

Graduating from the University of Vermont in 2006 with her Dental Hygiene degree and Bachelor’s in Biological Science, Leah has been working in private practice as a Dental Hygienist. With her personal experience and professional work experience Leah has gained a broad knowledge on overall physical health and nutrition. With her certification as a Body Appreciation Coach through The Greater You, Leah’s goal is to be able to use these skills in addition to her personal background with her eating disorder to help others gain control of their lives. Follow Leah’s blog at lettinggowithleah@blogspot.com.