A dark chapter of her youth was a motorcycleaccident in 1994. A car crashed into her boyfriend's bike and left both of them with several injuries and broken bones. Nadine was treated for 6 months in the hospital with the result that her legs could be saved, but unfortunately, even today, large, unpleasant scars remain visible. Her childhood dream, a modeling career, seemed to be out of reach, and she had no idea of what she should do for living. Nadine left school at the age of 17 and studied in the pharmaceutical business as a pharmacist. She graduated in January 2001.
Although Jansen took great pains to hide her scars as she began her modelling career, as she become more confident in her appearance she allowed photographers to shoot full-body shots of her that often include glimpses of her scars.