MASSENA — As a child growing up in Massena, Windy K. DeRushia loved sports.

“I lived at Alcoa Field,” she said. “I played all year round.”

At Massena High School she excelled in soccer, hockey and softball, earning enshrinement in the school’s athletic hall of fame.

That was a long time ago. Today, she still stands 5 feet, 3 inches, but she now says she weighs approximately 300 pounds.

Sitting at a table covered with her athletic trophies, Ms. DeRushia is hoping to be cast as a contestant on the NBC reality show “The Biggest Loser.”

“If I got on the show, I would like to get down to 190,” she said, adding that even if she’s not selected, she would like to continue trying to lose wight and getting her life back.

After high school, Ms. DeRushia played professional women’s football in Syracuse, New York City and Montreal until suffering a devastating knee injury in a game three years ago.

“I got hit with a helmet right on my knee,” she said, adding the hit broke her knee cap.

The injury left her inactive for nearly a year, over which time she gained approximately 40 pounds, peaking at roughly 330 pounds. While playing football, Ms. DeRushia, who was a nose guard, said her weight was consistently in the area of 290 pounds.

“One of the biggest reasons for wanting to go on the show is to get healthy and be here for my kids,” she said, adding that she began gaining weight, like many women do, after having children. She is the mother of two boys, Cody Jones, 14, and Zachary Jones, 12.

Another reason, she said, is difficulty in performing everyday tasks.

“I have a hard time going up stairs and doing stuff that a normal person should be able to do,” she said. “I still can play softball and I can do stuff, but it’s just not the me I want to be.”

Should she be selected for the show, Ms. DeRushia said she would have to be available from September through May, something she said has the support of her employer, Northern Merchant Services, Brasher Falls.

“They would be OK with me leaving for the show,” she said.

Ms. DeRushia, who has submitted a nomination video to NBC, said she was provided with an email address to pass on to people who would like to nominate her for the show.

Supporters can send a brief email containing Ms. DeRushia’s name, age and hometown, as well as a sentence or two about why she should be on the show to bl14nominations@gmail.com.

Should she be selected, Ms. DeRushia will be placed on one of two teams and compete for a grand prize of $250,000.

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