When Mabank's Abby Rike was eliminated from <em>The Biggest Loser</em> this week, it was one of the most emotional farewells you could find on reality TV. Rike, who was well-liked by other contestants, said she had achieved the breakthrough she was looking for and essentially sacrificed herself so that her teammates could stay and accomplish their goals.</p><p>Rike's breakthrough wasn't just about weight, although at this point she has lost more than 80 pounds since becoming a contestant on the show. In October 2006, the schoolteacher's husband Wallace, 33; daughter Macy 5; and infant son Caleb were killed in an accident when another driver -- Rike says he was going more than 100 mph -- swerved into oncoming traffic. That driver was also killed. (The info comes from Tyler station KLTV/Channel 7, whose story is <a href="http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=5540148">here.)</a></p><p>Rike told trainer Jillian Michaels that participating in the show had helped her realize that she could live again, rather than merely exist. She elaborated on that and her show experience during a brief phone interview.</p><p><strong>The show gave the impression that it took a long time for you to recover from your tragedy.</strong><break></p><p>I was still on maternity leave at the time of the accident. I then went back in January and finished out the school year and coached a play and took kids to state in the speech events. I then took off and got a master's degree the next year and moved to Louisiana and taught for a year. So I had a wonderful support system and I was still functioning. I certainly wasn't just hiding out or anything. It was just trying to find where I fit again. I think it's not just living, it's <em>feeling</em> again.<break></p><p><strong>The show required you to relieve that experience, and it was brought up in more than one episode. How difficult was that for you?</strong><break></p><p>You know, I <em>love</em> to talk about my family. I think it makes other people sometimes uncomfortable to talk about them, but for me, but for me, I love to talk about them. They were the greatest people I ever knew. Tears are not the end of the world. It's OK to cry, and I think that talking about things, that's part of the healing process.<break></p><p><strong>As far as the competition goes, what's the hardest thing about the weight-loss process -- especially after you've left the ranch and you're on your own?</strong><break></p><p>I think if you ever go into [a weight-loss attempt] and it's a diet, and it's about food, then I think you're going to set yourself up to fail. I think ultimately you have to have a picture in your mind of what you truly want out of life. And good health just plays into that. As I was going through the audition process and getting on the show and so forth, that's where I think I did a lot of my soul-searching and a lot of the mental ... commitment was made. When I got on the show, that's where the action came in.<break></p><p>As far as coming home, it's maintaining your focus of what matters to you. What do you value in life? And then you make choices accordingly. ... I suffered a stress fracture [during filming] and spent a lot of time in the pool, so it was really when I got home that I got back on my feet again. I started lifting weights, and working hard-core with a trainer. So I just feel super strong.<break></p><p><strong>You got to come home in an earlier episode, and you avoided the brisket at a huge picnic spread. I admire any Texan who can do that.</strong><break></p><p>[Laughs] I'm gonna tell you, I was so happy to see so many former students and friends and family that I had seen in so long, that food was the last thing I cared about. I wanted to see how all my folks were doing. I think that's what it's about. It's about, what's your real priority, and food kind of takes a backseat through all that.<break></p><p><strong>Didn't you say on that episode that the closest gym to your house was a half-hour away?</strong><break> I did say that. That was when I was limited to the pool. Because I was on crutches. The closest pool was a half-hour away. But the facilities here really haven't worked out. I drive to Dallas to go to the <a href="http://www.baylortomlandryfitnesscenter.com/">Tom Landry Center,</a> and they have the most amazing facilities for any type of rehab for injuries. It's a fantastic place. You can kind of rehab and work out all at the same time.<break></p><p><strong>Is Tracey really as nutty as they portray her on the show? [Note: Allen's Tracey Yukich has been portrayed as the show villain (or at least flake) this season, although some of that portrayal seems to be the result of creative reality-TV editing.]</strong><break></p><p>It's one of those things that they video what we do, they video what we say, they ask us questions and we answer them, and it's all on camera. It is what it is.<break></p><p><strong>You're on the cover of <em>Life & Style Weekly.</em> How weird is that?</strong></p><p>It is absolutely surreal, but I have to say, it was one of the most fun days I've ever had in my life. It was amazing. They flew me to New York, and they flew my trainer from the Landry Center. We did pictures all day, they did hair and makeup, I had beautiful clothes and dresses. They were so kind and so warm. It was just an incredible, wonderful experience.<break></p><p><strong>At the end of Tuesday's episode, there was a message saying that you plan to travel the country and speak to students about body issues. Where is that in the planning stages?</strong><break></p><p>I've had several offers. I'm trying to figure out how to make this kind of into a business and a livelihood. Because right now, I'm kind of an unemployed teacher that's working out a lot. It's definitely where I'd like to see my life head.<break>