Mickie James was raised on a farm with her sister Latoya in Montpelier, Virginia. She is of Native American heritage. As a child, she watched weekend horse shows. James started riding horses when she was eleven years old after her grandmother bought her a horse. James was a fan of professional wrestling as a child. She used to watch wrestling with her father. Her favorite wrestlers were Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair.