Full Name: Karen Ashley Rubenstein Date of Birth: February 24, 1982 Birthplace: Columbia, Missouri Hometown: Columbia, Missouri College: Auburn University (2005) National Titles: 1-meter (2006)

How long have you been diving?
Forever! I have a meet t-shirt from 1989

What diving teams have you been a member of?
Image Diving, Columbia, MO; Lightning Diving, St. Peters, MO; Auburn Diving, Auburn, AL

List Diving Achievements:
• 5th, 3-meter, American Cup 2003
• 12th, 3-meter, Fina Grand Prix 2003
• 4th, 1-meter, NCAA 2004
• 5th, 3-meter, NCAA 2004
• 6th, 3-meter, Olympic Trials 2004
• 5th, 3-meter, US Nationals 2004
• 3rd, 3-meter, US Open 2005
• 10th, 3-meter, World University Games 2005
• 1st, 1-meter, US Nationals 2006
• 6th, 3-meter, US Nationals 2006

What are your hobbies outside of diving?
I love art. I love drawing and painting. I also love to take my dog, Daisy, to the park with my fiancé, Mark.

What do you do between dives at competition?
I usually take hot showers because I am always cold. I’d like to say that I stay really focused and in my own world, but really I am a scoreboard watcher… I like to know exactly what is going on at all times… for some crazy reason it makes me less nervous!

If you could meet anyone, who would it be?
I think this is an especially hard question because I have met a lot of really great people. I think the question to ask is, if I could sit down and really talk to someone, who would it be? The answer to this question is the president. I would love to hear how someone can take care of so many people while taking care of himself and his family… what a tough job!

What’s in your CD player right now?
Sadly, I don’t have a cd player or mp3 player. I like all kinds of music as long as I can sing along (usually the wrong words).

What is your favorite dive to do?
It depends on the day. On a good day I love gainers… I love getting up there and knowing that I can hit one. On a bad day, we all have them, I like twisters… they are more of a safety dive… one that I can rely on.

What has been your biggest obstacle?
My biggest obstacle has been myself. There are times when my confidence is low and I have to remind myself with every dive that I am as good as everyone else. It is a constant struggle.

What is your favorite food?
Swedish fish, Diet Coke, and air-popped pop corn!

Who has inspired you the most?
I am lucky… I have handfuls of people around me that inspire me every day. My parents tell me every day that they are proud of me; this gives me the confidence to try new things. My fiancé Mark inspires me because he is the most dedicated athlete I have ever met. He and I share a passion for laying it on the line; this inspires me to never give up. My friends inspire me to be who I want to be and do what I want to do.

What is your favorite movie?
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”

If you could do any other sport, what would it be and why?
I would love to be a runner…well, I guess I should say that I would love to like running. I absolutely hate running, but runners have a certain quality of loving life or being able to relax, or freeing their mind while they run that I would love to have.

What city is your favorite to visit?
NYC!!

What is your most embarrassing “diving moment?”
There are too many to count! Every day I manage to do something that lacks grace.

What is the best advice you have received from a diving coach?
“All you have to do is land straight up and down with no splash ten times in a row”—Jeff Shaffer

What advice can you offer young divers as they progress through this sport?
Stick with it. It took me 17 years to win a national title and I don’t feel like I am finished. Disappointment happens. Sometimes it happens more than success, but if you enjoy going to practice every day then it doesn’t matter. It's not the desitnation… it is the journey!