Karen Parsegian is a huge Kings fan. She is also blind. The Sacramento resident lost her eyesight six years ago and now is turning her disability into inspiration for students across the country. Parsegian speaks to students about accomplishing their goals despite any physical setbacks they may have. On March 4, 2008, she made a free throw before the Kings-Lakers game to put her words into action. Kings.com sat down with Parsegian to discuss everything from her Kings fanhood to getting ready for the big shot.

Where are you from?
“I’m originally from Chicago, but lived in Los Angeles for 20 years. Then I moved up here in 1998. When I really followed the Lakers, it was during the Magic-Bird years. Then when I came up here, Vlade [Divac] was here, [Chris] Webber was here and Jason [Williams] was here. Everybody was here.”

So you’re a pretty big Kings fan now?
“I am a full-fledged Kings fan. I bleed purple.”

Do you remember the last game you saw?
“Absolutely, it was Games Four and Five [of the Western Conference Finals] between the Kings and Lakers in 2002. I remember screaming when [Robert] Horry [shot] that 3-pointer at the buzzer. Then I remember laughing hysterically when Bibby hit his big shot in Game Five with 8.2 seconds left on the clock.”

How did you lose your eyesight?
“I am totally blind. I got hit in the left eye with a crab-apple when I was eleven. In 2000, I had to have that eye removed due to pain and then lost sight in my right eye six years ago due to a weird phenomenon called sympathetic ophthalmia for my right eye.”

What are some of the things you do in the community?
“Since I went blind six years ago, I’ve been going to schools in the Sacramento area and around the country talking about overcoming adversity regardless of challenge or circumstance. I really believe in a positive attitude and approach and just getting out there, just flinging it into the wind and seeing what happens.”

What is your goal of coming out to the game today and shooting the free throw?
“I feel like I have to walk my talk. Right now for me to do this kind of thing is like bungee jumping [for someone who has eyesight]. It’s scary. I have a saying that I teach the students, which is from UCLA’s John Wooden: 'Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts'."

What kind of preparation did you have to do for this?
“I have put such enormous effort into this. This is three weeks of practice and only eating one really good meal a day, so I could fit into the Kings jersey. [Laughs] I also worked with my 12-year old niece Lane in the driveway on my ball-handling. Coach (Jerome) Jenkins over at Sacramento State was so good to me in helping me. I called him and Tarvish (Felton) and I said, ‘I’m doing this, would you work me out?’ And they were like, ‘Bring it'.”

Where did you get the idea to shoot the free throw at a Kings game?
"It was mostly because [tonight is an anniversary of sorts for the last game I saw between the Kings and Lakers]. And I’m rebounding. I’m just now going back to interviewing for jobs, so I thought, ‘what a perfect metaphor for rebound.’ The Kings court happened to be the last court that I saw and I love the Kings."

What is your favorite thing about the Kings?
“They’re so community-oriented. I don’t know of many teams — and I know several — that are this gracious and just really into their community. I think it’s amazing. I think not only am I lucky, all of Sacramento is incredibly lucky to have an organization like the Kings. And this is not smoke, I mean it.”

What have you learned about yourself through all of this?
“It’s all about the breath...and the hair. You’ve got to make sure it looks good. People notice. [Laughs] I have tried to live by Coach Wooden’s quote I mentioned earlier and I think it is so important to include people with disability in all parts of society, living life and just being ordinary folks. When I step up to the line tonight, I hope to hit a very personal triple-double -- to successfully rebound into a successfully competitive career, to assist others in their goals to do the same and to make a point that Coach Wooden got it right.”