Born in New York and adopted at birth, Joanne was raised in Northern New Jersey, just outside of New York City. Early on, she excelled in athletics, often displaying her gymnastic talent on the peak of the roof of her house, much to her parent's horror and later, in high school, as a state ranked athlete in track and field. She attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, studying Marine Science and Physics, but decided to follow a much different path to become a stunt performer.