Name: Lisa Valaika

Age: 50

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Link: http://support.themmrf.org/goto/valaika

Hello! My name is Lisa Valaika and I’m both honored and humbled to have been selected to participate in the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) 2017 Mt. Kilimanjaro Team for Cures.

I work as member of the US Market Access Team for Takeda Oncology. I live a pretty active life style with my daughter, Isabel and husband, Joe in Long Beach, CA. I’m currently training for the NYC Marathon in November along with our trek to Kilimanjaro in February of next year. I just turned the big “50” earlier this year and in celebration of my 50th birthday ran a 50 miler. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty, but I did finish!

I’m excited that one of our 2017 team members lives here in Long Beach. We’ve had the opportunity to do a couple training hikes together and I’m looking forward to many more over the next few months.

We have a unique opportunity partnering with the MMRF to hike alongside Multiple Myeloma patients – 6 of whom are part of this year’s team; to help raise awareness, raise money for research and bring us one step closer to a CURE!

See you at the summit!