They won $250,000 and a clearer picture of their health

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Sara and Tré entered a MrBeast health challenge for a chance to win $250,000. Their first lab tests through Function showed elevated heart health markers and low testosterone for Tré, and an elevated insulin resistance score and total testosterone for Sara. With the program’s support, they changed their habits and saw improvements in follow-up testing, while some markers still needed attention. They left about 160 pounds lighter, with a clearer picture of their health and an even stronger commitment to each other.

More than a prize

Before Sara and Tré worried about winning a MrBeast health challenge, Tré worried about being allowed to compete at all.

“I didn’t think they were going to let us in. Our results were so bad.”

The engaged couple was required to get baseline testing before starting the challenge.

Their first lab tests through Function made it harder to ignore how they’d been feeling.

Tré, 29, had once been active. Lately, he felt miserable. Sara noticed what she described as a dark cloud around him. She wasn’t feeling much better herself.

Now their concerns had numbers attached.

Tré’s LDL Cholesterol and ApoB were out of range. His hs-CRP, a marker of inflammation, was also elevated. With heart issues and diabetes in his family, the numbers concerned him. His Total Testosterone measured 160–178 ng/dL, much lower than the reference range of 250 to 1,100 ng/dL.

Sara, 27, had known about her insulin resistance for years. Her insulin resistance score* was 77, above Function’s reference threshold of 66. Her Total Testosterone was also above range.

“I thought I had hit a point where it was too late to change,” Sara said.

They had signed up for this health challenge with $250,000 on the line.

And now they had much more to think about than the prize.

Two sets of results

Inside the facility, help was everywhere. Meals were prepared with nutritious food. Trainers pushed them through daily movement. Function Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Mark Hyman, M.D. visited to explain the science and numbers.

The weight started dropping. Within the first month, they had lost a combined 43 pounds.

They knew they had exceptional support.

But what surprised them more were their follow-up lab results.

Tré’s Total Testosterone rose to 356 ng/dL. Sara’s insulin resistance score fell from 77 to 10, and her Total Testosterone came into range at 38 ng/dL.

When Dr. Hyman walked Sara through her updated lab tests, she could hardly believe what she was hearing.

“I was shocked. I thought he’d mixed up the test results.”

But there were still things to work on. Sara said she was becoming more iron deficient with each round of testing. Her Ferritin remained low at 3 ng/mL, and her Hemoglobin fell below range.

Tré’s numbers weren’t moving in a straight line, either. His LDL Cholesterol and ApoB rose back above range before improving again in a later round.

By the end of the six-month challenge, Tré and Sara had lost a combined total of about 160 pounds.

They left with the $250,000 prize and a question the facility couldn’t answer for them:

How would they keep going at home?

Breakfast at home

The first week back home was harder than they expected.

No one was preparing their meals. No one was waiting to walk them through a workout.

They cooked more, went for walks, and exercised together. Sara made eggs with spinach and cottage cheese for breakfast. Tré made sure he was getting enough protein.

Still, settling into a routine was difficult, and some days they needed a reminder of why they were doing it.

“I know exactly how I felt six months ago, and I don’t want to feel that way,” Sara said.

Change of weekend plans

Keeping up with their habits was also giving them something new: energy.

Before the challenge, a hike wasn’t on the weekend plan. On a recent trip to Utah, Tré was excited they finally took one.

“We went on a huge hike. And I know that we wouldn’t have been able to do that six months ago.”

Sara noticed the change in Tré, too. The dark cloud she’d seen before the challenge seemed to have lifted.

“I wake up now, I’m not tired anymore,” Tré said. “I say, come on, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”

A different meaning for their vows

Before they left the challenge, they exchanged vows in a ceremony.

This commitment to their health and to each other was something they wanted to carry into the rest of their lives.

They had learned how much taking care of each other could ask of them.

“We stuck with each other at our lowest,” Sara said.

She had once worried about becoming a parent, and now she felt prepared.

“I feel really confident that we’ll be able to live a healthier life with our future kids.”

They even shared their health journeys with their own families.

Tré remembered his grandmother urging him to get his heart checked on his last birthday. Now, with more information, he was ready to see a cardiologist.

Sara’s mother was worried about what so much information would reveal if she decided to join. But Sara assured her.

“I told her the numbers are going to be the same whether you look or you don’t look. It’s better to know.”

What they took home

Sara and Tré had started their journey afraid.

Now they knew which markers needed attention, could track what was changing, and understood why they wanted to keep going.

Sara said confidently, “The money has changed our lives, but I think more than that, it’s the fact that we have our lives back.”

*Add-On Test available for additional cost.