Losing the weight, finding herself
BY ASHLEY THORPE
Reporter
When Ashleigh Kugler started documenting her weight loss journey, she had no idea it would one day land her on a stage next to Rachael Ray.
Washburn resident and Garrison native Kugler had been using the hashtag ‘half my size’ since losing 143 pounds, half her weight. Employees of the Rachael Ray Show searched the same hashtag Kugler used, and it was through her Instagram posts that Kugler and her weight loss story had been discovered.
Following a whirlwind of activity, Kugler appeared on the Jan. 2 episode of the Rachael Ray Show with a new hairstyle, an expanded wardrobe, and an unforgettable experience.
“They found my social media based on my content,” Kugler said. “They reached out and asked for contact information and were interested in interviewing me. At first, I thought, ‘is this a scam?’”
A regular Thursday night watching the football game turned into Kugler searching for clues of legitimacy in the message she had received. After concluding that the CBS domain name presented enough proof, she sent out her contact information. At nine a.m. the next day, she began her 45-minute phone conversation with a representative of the show. Two weeks later, Kugler boarded a flight to New York City.
“I’ve never been to New York, and I think most people dream of going there during Christmas time,” Kugler said. “I never would have been able to go otherwise.”
