Jun 08 "RTL" Day 49 star: Caroline Queen

Featured athlete bio: Caroline Queen

Discipline: Slalom Kayak
Birthdate: 3/5/1992
Height: 5'3"
College: Davidson College
Club: Potomac Whitewater Racing Club

2012 Olympic Nominee

Recent Results:

2012 World Cup No. 1 in Cardiff, Wales: 35th - earned nomination to 2012 U.S. Olympic Team
2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Charlotte, N.C.: 2nd
9th place at 2012 Australian Open
Earned Olympic slot for Team USA in Women's Kayak with 37th place finish at 2011 Slalom World Championships. Read about it HERE.
2011 National Champion in Women's Kayak. Read about it HERE.
Reached the second round at the London 2012 Olympic Test Event
Reached the semifinals of 2011 World Cups Nos. 1, 2 & 3 - finishing 18th at World Cups No. 2 & 3
Placed 24th among Women's Kayaks in final 2011 ICF World Cup Standings

Career Highlights:

1st place - 2010 U.S. National Team Trials
19th place - 2008 World Cup No. 1
2nd place - 2010 U.S. National Championships
1st place - 2011 U.S. National Championships
U.S. National Team Member 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011

Personal:

Nickname: "Bam Bam"
Job: student, considering a major in psychology or biology
Hobbies: field hockey, reading, basketball
Quote: "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal." & "Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing."
Role models: I certainly look up to Rebecca Giddens and Sarah Leith as athlete role models. My parents are also great mentors to me.
Trivia: Although I have dedicated much of my time to slalom, kayaking is not my only sport. I love field hockey and continue to play on my college's club team. I also enjoy trying new sports and have taken up basketball as a new crosstrain. I am also a very dedicated student. I plan to attend medical school in pursuit of a degree in psychiatry after acquiring my undergraduate degree from Davidson.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolinequeenslalom
Twitter @slalomlina
Blog: http://usack.org/blogs/blog-for-caroline-queen
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/carolinequeenusa
Click HERE to see a video feature of Caroline's Road to London

Caroline Queen first began paddling slalom at Valley Mill Camp in her hometown of Darnestown, MD at the age of nine. She soon entered regular training in the summer of 2002, when she began working with the US Junior Team coach, Martin Nevaril. With Martin’s guidance, she blossomed as a young paddler. In 2006, then fourteen-year-old Queen attended her first US National team trials, when surprised the slalom community by winning Day 2 of the competition.

The following year, Queen began training with National Team coach Silvan Poberaj. With help from both Poberaj and former team member Joe Jacobi, she became the youngest woman ever to make the US National team. She was also first boat on the US Junior team. 2008 brought a whole new challenge for the second year junior, a shot at the US Olympic spot. She was again third in the Senior class and first among the Juniors, but she would have to be number one to earn her trip to Beijing. Although Queen did not end up with the spot, she had her best result of that year in the Prague World Cup in June of 2008, finishing 19th.

Queen did not race in the 2009 season due to a severe knee injury that prevented her from attending the 2009 Team Trials in Durango. But post-surgery and recovery, she rebounded well, earning the top K1W spot on the 2010 National Slalom Team. Currently, Queen trains on the Potomac River with Poberaj. Caroline uses Galasport paddles and boats.

When asked what she enjoys most about paddling, Queen says that slalom “is a great sport to grow up with. In addition to improving myself as an athlete, I’ve learned so much about life in general.” Queen also says that she loves to travel, especially to her favorite courses, Eiskanal (Augsburg, Germany) and Cunovo (Bratislava, Slovakia). When not paddling, Queen plays field hockey and lacrosse. She graduated from The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland in June of 2010. She will attend Davidson College in Charlotte, North Carolina beginning in Fall of 2010.