Melissa Trinidad (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

Melissa is a 30-year-old children’s martial arts instructor. She is a certified black belt who grew up a “military brat.” Trinidad rebelled against her strict parents while growing up and, is now a single mom herself. Though only 5′1, Trinidad is extremely focused and one of the most determined contenders. She currently lives in Brandon, Florida.

Elena Maskalik (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

Elena is a 22-year-old firefighter who currently resides in Foster City, California. She emigrated from Ukraine after she and her family evacuated after the Chernobyl tragedy. She is grateful she had the opportunity to leave and feels she owes it all to her parents. Maskalik grew up in San Jose where she excelled in martial arts and wrestling. She is now a member of the San Jose Fire Department.

Toby Gordin (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

Toby is a 31-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee who helps run his family’s grocery store. This father of two is in love with his family and wakes up at four a.m. to work out so he can be at home after work to cook for his family. This tough guy loves interior decorating and was once a competitive college cheerleader.

Randee Haynes (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

Randee is a 25-year-old carpenter from Chicago, Illinois. He hails from a family of 13 kids whose names all begin with “R.” He admires and appreciates his parents, and as a father of two, strives to be half the father his dad was. Haynes’ silly and lovable demeanor proves that you don’t have to train hard to be a good athlete.

John Sciliano (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

John is a 37-year-old Paralympic athlete from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A former college athlete, Siciliano lost his leg in a car accident. He went through lengthy rehab and showed great determination to become a Paralympic athlete. Siciliano wants to show the world that anyone can succeed, despite disability. He currently works as a product specialist for Endolite, a prosthetic manufacturer.

Gerry Garcia (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

Gerry Garcia is a 27-year-old special education teacher and martial arts masters student. His parents emigrated from the Philippines and worked day and night to provide for their family. Garcia began hanging out with the wrong crowd and soon found himself in juvenile hall. It was then that he turned his life around. He is now a business major, a mentor to troubled teens and a teacher to kids with autism. Garcia lives in Long Beach, California.

Vanessa Warren (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

Vanessa is a 35-year-old U.S. Air Force Major. She was also a Blackhawk helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army. Warren says she is particularly hard on female recruits because she is sick of the stereotype that women are weak. She is also a group fitness instructor for “Moms in Motion,” a national group which trains women and gets them involved in charity work. She currently lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Nikki Key (Ep. 1) - May 12, 2008 - Photo

Nikki is a 27-year-old bartender and fitness model from Queens, New York. She grew up learning theatrical dance and moved to Los Angeles to learn hip-hop. She has been dancing her entire life and toured with famous pop stars. Key is an overachiever who will always push herself to be the best. She was raised by her mother, who she considers her best friend.

David Moore (Ep. 2) - May 19, 2008 - Photo

David is a 31-year-old police officer from Chicago, Illinois. He is a true family man who does everything for his son and wife. Moore is a health nut who believes in staying fit and eating right. He loves to joke around with his buddy Melvin Davis, a fellow police officer and contender on this cycle of “American Gladiators.”

Melvin Davis (Ep. 2) - May 19, 2008 - Photo

Melvin is a 42-year-old cop that has been in the Chicago Police Department for fifteen years. He became a cop to help the community and give back, and he loves his work. He has also been a bodyguard for actress Jennifer Hudson. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Vicki Ferrari (Ep. 2) - May 19, 2008 - Photo

Vicki is a 35-year-old narcotics officer from Denver, Colorado. She comes from a police family (her husband is a cop as well). Nicknamed “pitbull” by the guys at the precinct, Vicki is charming and easygoing with a lightening-quick temper. She is best friends with contender and police officer Abbe Dorn.

Abbe Dorn (Ep. 2) - May 19, 2008 - Photo

Abbe is a 28-year-old police officer in Denver, Colorado. She is also a body builder and former fitness model. She would love the chance to compete against her best friend Vicki Ferrari, a fellow Denver police officer and contender in this cycle’s American Gladiators. Abbe currently lives in Centennial Park, Colorado.

Rest of Contenders: (episodes to be announced)

Male Contenders

Jesus Jay Martinez is a 40-year-old SWAT officer from Perth Amboy, New Jersey. As a former U.S. Marine, he became best of the best by working recon in some of the toughest deployments available. Martinez continues to stay in great shape by teaching martial arts. Although rugged and raw, he is the ultimate family man to his wife and two children.

Brick Reilly is a 27-year-old tree climber from Springfield, New Jersey. He was born deaf and has always deemed athletics an important escape from the realities of life. Though Reilly recently had a cochlear implant which gave him the ability to hear, he never used his disability as an excuse in his life. He works as a mentor for deaf children in the New Jersey area.

Landon Jones is a 26-year-old medical device salesman from Littleton, Colorado. This high school athlete survived the Columbine shootings and it changed his life. As he continued his athletic and scholastic career at Colorado State, he started a ministry to help kids who need guidance. Professionally he sells drills and saws that are used in neuro-surgery.

Tony Tolbert is a 36-year-old science teacher from Denver, Colorado. Tolbert chose a different route than that of his brother and father. While they preferred “manly sports” like football, Tolbert excelled in cheerleading and gymnastics. This father of two believes that being a positive role model is the most important thing a man can do. He is dedicating his “American Gladiators” experience to his mother, who recently passed.

Adam Hill is a 40-year-old ER doctor from Denver, Colorado. He decided to go into medicine after his dad suffered a head injury from racecar driving. His father recovered due to excellent care, but working in the ER, Hill knows all too well how helpful money could be to those without proper healthcare. If he wins American Gladiators, he says he will donate all the money to a charity benefiting people without proper healthcare.

Mike Gamble is a 29-year-old who grew up in Connecticut and now lives in Hollywood, California. He is a multi-faceted artist who works as dance choreographer, special events producer, fitness trainer and media consultant. As the youngest of five siblings, Gamble has always done what he’s wanted. He is living his dream and feels that people need to get out of their comfort zones and live life.

James Ruggiero is a 27-year-old high school English teacher from Yucca Valley, California. This father of two is a true family man who has looked up to his brother his whole life. After almost dying from a massive head injury playing football, Ruggiero pulled his life together and shed 65 unwanted pounds. He spends time at the Boys and Girls Club mentoring kids.

Sean Hetherington is a 29-year-old waiter and personal trainer from West Hollywood, California. Hetherington was an unhealthy 275 pounds when he decided to change his life. He hired a personal trainer and lost 100 pounds in less than two years. The obstacles he has been faced with have given him confidence and determination, and he has the attitude that there is nothing he can’t do.

Alejandro Soto is a 24-year-old war veteran from El Cajon, CA and is now a dolphin trainer for the U.S. Navy Marine mammal program. Family is a very important part of life for Soto and his older brother Jorge who is currently fighting testicular cancer. Soto wants to bring notice to this disease and make sure people know how to diagnose it sooner.

Tim Oliphant is a 33-year-old media director for Kanakuk Kamps in Branson, Missouri. He loves working with kids, is very religious, and believes his father is a hero. Oliphant is a very likable guy who loves competition and is always looking for a challenge, whether it is joining a choir just to try it or running a marathon without training.

Alexander Coats is a 26-year-old mortgage consultant from Jacksonville, Florida. As a marine, he was injured in Iraq by a grenade and suffered massive injuries. Coats was told he may never walk without a cane, but through pure will forced himself to learn to walk and run, even with shrapnel throughout his body. He is in great shape and ready to show that he has bounced back from the pain.

Anthony Pagnotta is a 35-year-old NYPD Detective from Farmingdale, New York. Although humble about his many awards and achievements, he was deeply involved in the early days of the 9/ll relief effort, spending the first three days of the tragedy on the scene.

Aaron Simpson is married to fellow contender Kendra Sirignano. He hails from Tempe, Arizona. Aaron is a 33-year-old wrestling coach. The father of a12-year-old foster child, he is now awaiting the birth of his twins by an unexpected surrogate mother – his wife’s 51-year-old mom.

Jeff Davidson is married to fellow contender Ally Davidson. He is a 29-year old financial advisor from Dallas, Texas. Unknown to Jeff, his wife tried out for American Gladiators on her wedding day in her wedding veil. He and his wife make one very athletic team and will give the Gladiators a tough fight.

Female Contenders

De Day is a 29-year-old full-time mom from Siesta Key, Florida. This mother of two has three priorities in life: family, God and fitness. Her hobbies include running long-distance “adventure” races that include mountain climbing, fording rivers and other rough-terrain activities. She is coming to “American Gladiators” to go fast, go hard and prove there is power in prayer.

Tiffaney Florentine is a 25-year-old business consultant from Royal Oak, Michigan. After caring for her ailing father in 2001, Florentine felt her life needed a new direction when he passed. She joined the U.S. Air Force, spent six years in the military police, and even served a brief stint in the CIA before settling back into civilian life as a business consultant. She believes the tough times she’s been though have only made her stronger.

Chaunda (Shonda) Mason is a 28-year-old actress and model from North Hollywood, California. Tough and courageous, she is a 5-year U.S. Army veteran and single mother. Though very athletic, Mason believes her time in the Army as a peacekeeper made her even more of an athlete.

Rochelle Gilken is a 27-year-old crime reporter from West Palm Beach, Florida. Gilken has seen the dark side of West Palm Beach for years, and is ready for anything. She goes by the name “Little Rocky,” due to her love of boxing.

Jessica Garcia is a 25-year-old cheerleading coach from the Bronx, New York. She put on 60 lbs in college and realized she was not the person she wanted to be. Garcia has worked hard to shed the weight and now coaches cheer in her old neighborhood, the Bronx, where she hopes to set up a cheer center for kids to pursue their dreams.

Patricia Franklin is a 41-year-old mother of four from Leesburg, Virginia . She was Top 10 in the “Women’s Tri-Fitness” obstacle course competition 4 years in a row and was 1st place in the “Nova Strength Competition”. As a nurse for nineteen years, and a mother for seventeen, Franklin is quite busy taking care of others.

Annie Castellano is a 20-year-old Columbia College student originally from Stoneham, Massachusetts, who spends her vacations working at her family’s seafood restaurant in Florida. Her constantly upbeat, bubbly personality, and sky-high energy level is in direct contrast to her diminutive, 4-foot, 11-inch frame. What Castellano lacks in height, she more than makes up for in confidence.

Yoko Ohigashi, originally from Brea, California, is a 52-year-old team manager in investment at a brokerage firm in Irvine, CA. She claims to have a “fire inside that is going to take the whole world by surprise.” Ohigashi is looking to live life to the fullest, and burning the Gladiators is at the top of the list.

Adriana Posadas is a 23-year-old school chemical engineering student from Anaheim, California. This classical beauty has overcome a lot of family struggles. Posadas wanted to get into pharmaceuticals to help her mom who has struggled with cancer. She is a mentally tough individual as well as incredibly polite and sweet. Posadas really enjoys getting into the spirit of competition and feels this will be a fantastic personal achievement.

Tatum Yount is a 26-year-old competitive figure skater and marathon/triathlon runner from Manhattan Beach, California. She is a world-ranked figure skater, who has fearlessly battled scoliosis since age 12. Smart and beautiful, Yount is the epitome of a well-disciplined athlete.

Lillian Thomassen and Clinessa Burch are 27-year-old twin sisters who are both in the concrete business. Thomassen is a concrete artist and Burch owns a concrete business with her husband. The twins enjoy engaging in any kinds of sports and are very competitive against each other. Both sisters currently reside in California – Lillian in San Luis Obispo and Clinessa in Los Osos.

Kendra Sirignano is married to fellow contender Aaron Simpson. 30-year old Sirignano is a social worker. She is mother to a 12-year-old foster child and is now awaiting the birth of her twins by an unexpected surrogate mother – her 51-year-old mother. Strong and fit, she is a contender to reckon with.

Ally Davidson is married to fellow contender Jeff Davidson. Hailing from Dallas, Texas. she is a 24-year-old sales representative. Ally tried out for American Gladiators on her wedding day in her wedding veil, a move that her more conservative husband probably wouldn’t have approved had he known. Ally once broke her neck in a nearly fatal skiing accident. She has made a full recovery and is a ready to take on the competition.