The long-running, Emmy Award-winning reality series “Survivor” is back for its 48th season, and for the third consecutive season, a Michigan native is among the castaways battling for the title of Sole Survivor and the coveted $1 million prize.

Charity Nelms, a 34-year-old flight attendant and fitness coach, is ready to take on the ultimate challenge when the show premieres with a two-hour episode on CBS on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

She follows in the footsteps of the last two women who won “Survivor” — Southfield native Rachel LaMont in season 47 and Gibraltar native Kenzie Petty in season 46.

Nelms, who recently relocated from Michigan to St. Petersburg, Florida, is no stranger to pushing herself to the limits. Over the past decade, she has undergone a significant physical and mental transformation, shedding 100 pounds and building a thriving career that merges her love of fitness with her role as a flight attendant.

A former student at Monroe High School, she took a gap year after finishing high school through homeschooling. She traveled and did ministry work. Later, she trained at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport flight school while working multiple jobs, balancing her education with her fitness journey. Now, she’s stepping onto the beaches of Fiji with the same drive that’s carried her through life’s biggest obstacles.

“’Survivor’ is kind of making up for lost time for me,” Nelms said. “A decade ago, I was in ministry school in Alabama. I was struggling with an eating disorder. At that time, I was 100 pounds overweight, the heaviest I’d ever been. And I was skipping morning prayer because, just to be honest, it was really boring. I skipped class and morning prayer multiple times a week to lay in bed and watch ‘Survivor.’”

While watching “Survivor,” she was fascinated by strategy, physical endurance and social dynamics, but at the time, she never imagined herself as someone who could compete.

“I remember thinking: ‘I have such an adventurous spirit. I love to travel. This is so cool. I would love to do this.’ But just from deep-rooted insecurity, I thought: ‘I could never do that. I could never hold up in those physical competitions. I don’t want people to see my body. I don’t even want to be in a swimsuit,’” she said.

That perspective has changed drastically.

After years of hard work, both in the gym and in reshaping her mindset, Nelms is ready to prove to herself and to the world that she belongs on “Survivor.”

“Being on ‘Survivor’ runs deep for me. This is not just like, ‘Oh, cool game, and maybe a million bucks.’ I have something to prove to myself. I have worked really hard to be here,” Nelms said.

To prepare for the game, she dug deep.

“I have gotten really healthy inside and out, both in the weight loss, but also just in the confidence of who I am and what I’m capable of when I started training for ‘Survivor,’” she said. ”It was even kind of just an emotional moment for me, not that I’ve made it on the show, but just that I’m even able to train for this, and I am going to hang in there with the other 17 people.”To train: “I was running every day, lifting every day, I was balancing on anything I could find to balance on. I was getting balls and walking around with them on my head. I was running around with no shoes on with weights over my head. I was spinning. I was swimming in the ocean,” she said. “I am lucky enough to be in Saint Pete, so you know I had an ocean seven minutes away. I was going out to the beach and swimming and seeing how fast I could go.”

A natural leader with an infectious energy, Nelms has high hopes for her social game.

“I think I have a level of charisma that makes people comfortable. I love to bring a group together. I’m a natural-born leader,” she said. “I will make anybody laugh, even to the point where I’m embarrassing myself. Very self-deprecating. That is my personality and I think people feel comfortable with that.”

But she’s also aware of her biggest challenge: her blunt nature.

“My kryptonite? Speaking my mind. Sometimes, my tongue will get me into trouble because I am a no-BS person, just straight to the point. I’m from Michigan. I married someone from the South, and now I realize, ‘Oh, I’m very frank.’ We’re very to the point. … So I think that could get me into trouble, but I’m very aware of it.”

Nelms’ journey to the island is a testament to her resilience. From battling insecurities to building a thriving career and transforming her health, she has proven she doesn’t back down from a challenge. Now, she’s ready to take that mindset into “Survivor” 48.

“I know who I am. I know what I’ve been through. I know who I’m not. I have such a settled feeling. And to be honest, we’re all sizing each other up and looking at each other. I’m not intimidated by anyone,” Nelms said.

She said her greatest lesson learned is to trust her gut.

“You know I have only gotten myself in trouble when I haven’t trusted my gut,” she said. “If you watch the show, you know it’s a wild ride. But being chosen for ‘Survivor’ instilled this confidence in me that I can do anything I set my mind to.”

“Survivor” launches with a two-hour episode at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, on CBS. The series then shifts to 90-minute weekly episodes beginning Wednesday, March 5.