Karina Leblanc is a dynamo, and her mother's scrapbook documents a life of diverse interests and the pursuit of excellence. She attended Fairview Elementary and Maple Ridge Senior Secondary Schools, where she was a standout in a number of sports. She played basketball, volleyball, track and field and of course, soccer. She also took part in band and took tap dancing at Peggy Peat's School of Dance. Her abilities at soccer were the path to her current fame. Karina played soccer for the Magic, Golden Ears United and the Royals locally, and she credits her early coaches in our community, Kim Switch and Rory Koghler for instilling the skills and discipline needed to compete at an international level.
Karina decided to attend The University of Nebraska where she established herself as the premier goalkeeper on the Cornhuskers. In 1998 Karina started 20 games for Nebraska and logged a minuscule 0.70 goals against average, allowing just 14 goals while recording 11 shutouts. This play caught the attention of Canada's national program, and in 1999 she played on Canada's National Women's World Cup Team. Another impressive statistic is Karina's 3.046 grade point average as a Business Administration major. Karina demonstrates that one can achieve their dreams on the field and off with dedication and commitment.