23 Facts About Karina Smirnoff

1.

Karina Smirnoff is a Soviet-born American professional ballroom dancer of Ukrainian origins.

2.

Karina Smirnoff is known as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, where she won the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star JR Martinez.

3.

Karina Smirnoff has won two runner-up titles, a semifinal title, and several quarterfinal titles.

4.

Karina Smirnoff is a five-time US National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion.

5.

Karina Smirnoff has won the title at the UK Open, is a three-time champion at the US Open, two-time champion at the Asian Open, five-time champion at the Dutch Open, and five-time US National Professional Champion.

6.

Karina Smirnoff has taken second at the British Open Blackpool Dance Festival, and the first woman to reach the British Professional Final with three different partners, and surpassed her own distinction by being the only woman to have made the final with four different partners between 1999 - 2006.

7.

Karina Smirnoff was born in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, and is of half-Greek and half-Russian Jewish descent.

8.

Karina Smirnoff finally graduated from the Bronx High School of Science.

9.

Karina Smirnoff graduated from New York City's Fordham University with a double major in economics and information system programming.

10.

From January 2001 to September 2005, Karina Smirnoff was in a dance partnership with Slavik Kryklyvyy and they represented the USA; this partnership thus far is her most successful one.

11.

Kryklyvyy and Karina Smirnoff earned numerous top titles and high ratings together.

12.

Karina Smirnoff released a fitness DVD, Shape Up With Karina Smirnoff.

13.

Karina Smirnoff guest starred as Madame Escajeda in an episode of Hannah Montana.

14.

Karina Smirnoff is featured in a nude pictorial in the May 2011 American issue of Playboy magazine.

15.

Karina Smirnoff was a performer on the third season of the ABC series Dancing with the Stars with celebrity partner Mario Lopez.

16.

Karina Smirnoff returned to the show on March 19,2007 for Season 4, this time partnered with Billy Ray Cyrus, country singer and Hannah Montana star.

17.

Karina Smirnoff returned for Season 6, partnered with singer Mario and finished in 5th place.

18.

Karina Smirnoff appeared on the thirteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, where she was partnered with All My Children actor JR Martinez.

19.

Karina Smirnoff became injured when she was performing a flip with partner Jones during rehearsals for their week 9 Lindy hop.

20.

Karina Smirnoff has an American Staffordshire Terrier dog named Randy.

21.

Karina Smirnoff was engaged to fellow DWTS pro and Ukrainian Maksim Chmerkovskiy for nine months in 2009.

22.

In October 2009, Karina Smirnoff began dating Major League Baseball pitcher Brad Penny.

23.

Karina Smirnoff became engaged to entrepreneur Jason Adelman in January 2015.