Colette Nelson was born in 1974 in
Southfield,
Michigan and grew up in
Royal Oak. At the age of 12 years, she was diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes. Her doctor told her that he would start her on
insulin and she has to exercise to keep her blood pressure under control. She attended
Clarence M. Kimball High School and graduated as part of the class of 1992. In high school, she became obsessed with exercise, teaching up to 20
aerobics classes a week. She attended
Michigan State University where she received a
bachelor's degree in
dietetics and a minor in
dance. After graduating from college, she moved to New York City to attend
New York University. She finished her
master's degree in clinical nutrition and became a registered
dietician and a certified
diabetes educator. She also passed a board certified exam to become a sports dietician. ==Bodybuilding career==