Nikita Koloff was born in Minneapolis as Scott Simpson. Young Scott was a weight training fanatic and superb football player at Robbinsdale High School, a Minneapolis suburb. He played college football and was dreaming of an NFL career when injuries sidelined him. Unable to fulfill that dream, he turned again to weights and became an obsessive trainer, putting in extremely long hours at the gym. His freindship with wrestler Road Warrior Animal took him to Atlanta, where he was introduced to professional wrestling. Changing his name to Nikita Koloff and acting as the nephew of Ivan Koloff, Scott took on on a whole new persona. He entered the NWA and became a star, then moved over to the WCW and became an even bigger star. Eventually, he went from villain to hero, teaming with Dusty Rhodes, "The American Dream," to become a super patriot and a super star. He won many titles along the way. Koloff retired from the grind of professional wrestling in 1992 and began giving back to his fans in a variety of ways. A devout Christian, Nikita and his wife, Victoria, live in Concord, NC. "Nikita is as much a champion in the service of other as he was in the ring," said Bill Murdock, a museum board member who is executive director of Eblen Charities in Asheville, NC. The Eblen Charities is a not-for-profit business that helps families that are battlilng illnesses and disabilities. "He gives support to the Eblen Charities," said Murdock. "His outreach is worldwide, he does charitable work in Africa and other countries. He gives his time to motivating others, living a Christian life and talking about character and development. "He has provided help in building churches and other worthwhile organizations. The Eblen Charities would not be where it is without the help of people like Nikita."