Karen Krysiewski Day

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Karen Krysiewski Day is a distinguished athlete, accomplished sales professional, and resolute mother whose life is defined by a relentless drive for excellence and a deep commitment to family.

Born in Kingston Pennsylvania to Steve and Antoinette (Yanklunas) Krysiewski, Karen grew up in a lively household as the second of four sisters, or as she likes to call it, the “big middle.”  Beth is the oldest and played soccer collegiately, Marsha the “little middle” ran track collegiately, and Amy, the youngest, played D1 Field Hockey, all tremendous athletes in their own right. Though an athlete across many disciplines from an early age, Karen’s path was forever changed in the second grade by her neighbor and best friend, Kristin Stretanski. Coming from a prominent local swimming family, Kristin invited Karen to join her at practice simply so they could spend more time together. That invitation sparked a lifelong passion; from that day forward, Karen was in the water almost every day.

Karen’s competitive career began at the Wilkes-Barre YMCA before she entered the USA swimming circuit with the newly formed FAST Swim Club under Frank Tribendis at Wyoming Valley West High School. Under her head coach at FAST and Wyoming Valley West, Nina Wozniak, Karen emerged as an elite distance swimmer. Training alongside top-tier athletes—including Kristin’s brother, Matt Stretanski, and her pier on the men’s team Matthew Whipple—Karen and Kristin pushed one another to become the top swimmers in Pennsylvania.

Her dominance in the pool led her to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she competed under legendary coach Frank Comfort. At UNC, Karen transitioned into the grueling world of collegiate long-distance swimming, a period she remembers as one of the most challenging and transformative of her life. She graduated in 1999, carrying with her the discipline and integrated approach to wellness that define a Tar Heel student-athlete.

Upon graduation, Karen entered the high-stakes semiconductor industry through a prestigious leadership program at Arrow Electronics. Her professional trajectory has been as steady and impressive as her athletic one; today, she serves as the Regional Sales Manager for the Northeast United States at onsemi, maintaining a successful career in the industry for over two decades.

Now residing in Dresher, Pennsylvania, with her husband of 13 years, Matt, Karen’s life revolves around her family. She is the proud mother of four: Laurel, a diver at Penn State; Noah, a student at Upper Dublin High School; Iyla, a nationally ranked age-group diver; and her stepdaughter Melina, a student at West Virginia University.

Despite her professional and parental responsibilities, Karen remains deeply involved in her community. She volunteers within the USA diving circuit, supports her children’s schools, and gives her time to Cradle of Hope, a shelter for mothers in crisis. Whether she is cheering at a sporting event or hosting a gathering for her 21-member extended family, Karen exemplifies a masterful balance of career success, community service, and a devotion to the people she loves most.