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ALS Fundraising Events, ALS Inspire Series

ALS Inspire Series: Episode 1: Lauren Clausman

Posted on by MOFF
08
Jul

Lauren Clausman is running the TCS NYC Marathon this year for MOFF and Team ALS on November 3, 2024! We are very excited for her to undertake this 26.2 mile challenge and will be supporting her along the way! This will be the second year that MOFF is represented in the NYC marathon, in 2022 Samantha Fernandez completed this feat in 4:33:35. These women are our role models!

Watch the video below to learn what inspired Lauren to run the 2024 TCS NYC Marathon. You never know, maybe she will inspire YOU to throw on some running shoes 🙂

Get to know Lauren better via the Q&A with her below:

Q&A

Where are you from and what is your spirit animal?

I was born and raised in South Florida and currently live in Boca Raton. My spirit animal is definitely a dog!!! I love them all so much. If I had to narrow it down I would most likely say a golden retriever.

Have you run a marathon before? Do you have a certain pace or completion time you are aiming for?

This will be my 1st Marathon! I’ve completed a few half marathons in the last 5 years so I am hoping my body is ready. I would like to complete the NYC Marathon in a little under 4 and a half hours.

You are running with Team Challenge ALS, what motivated you to support the ALS cause? How did you get connected with the Team?

I am running in honor of Martha Fernandez and family is why I chose to do this. I don’t think ALS gets enough research and awareness and I am hoping to make a difference in that even if it is small. My cousin Natalie Fernandez was able to connect me with the ALS NYC Chapter and I was welcomed onto their team with open arms!!! The experience has been amazing thus far and I am looking forward to meeting my running team.

Do you have any running idols or key people who support you that you would like to recognize?

I can track my love for running all the way back to my pre-middle school days and seeing my mom run every single day. I quickly found my love for it and we were able to run together every day after school. It always reminds me of her and I think that’s why I still love it so much!! I can’t wait for her to see me cross the finish line just like my track and field days.

Do you have any favorite running song recommendations for the MOFF community?

ANYTHING disco or EDM is my go-to. Right now, Boom by Tiesto is how I start and finish every run. Learn about key information about the NYC marathon by visiting this website.

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Tags: ALS Fundraising Events

Natalie Fernandez
Program Director, CFO
Natalie is the associate project manager of clinical development at Viracta Therapeutics in San Diego, CA. In her spare time, she works as the program director and CFO of MOFF. Well connected within the ALS community, Natalie runs the ALS Research Paper Review Initiative (ALS RPR) and is a member of the ALS Association National Chapter Patient and Caregiver Advisory Committee (PCAC). Natalie completed her MBA degree in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Business at The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in June 2019. She holds an undergraduate degree from NYU in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Spanish.

Andrea Fernandez
Director, Secretary
Andrea is currently working for Plaid in San Francisco, California. She earned her B.S. at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Andrea chose to live abroad and teach in Spain for a year prior to moving to San Francisco. She is currently enjoying the NorCal city lifestyle and looking forward to all that is to come.

John Ronca
Board Member
John joined the MOFF board of directors in April 2020. Bio coming soon.

Cheri Humphrey
Board Member
Cheri Humphrey joined the MOFF board of directors in August of 2019. Cheri grew up in Dixon, CA and moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly. It was there that she met her husband Jim. They now reside in SLO and have a daughter, Victoria and a son, Riley. Cheri is instrumental in the operations of the iconic Madonna Inn, which she has been the manager of since 1989. Cheri and her family have been ALS advocates since the inception of MOFF. We are honored to have Cheri as part of the board to guide community outreach and continue raising awareness of ALS prevalence on the Central Coast.

Ian Parkinson
Board Member
We are very excited to welcome San Luis Obispo County Sheriff, Ian Parkinson, into his second two-year term as a member of the Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation Board. Ian has served as Sheriff since 2011 and is well known in the community for this tireless efforts to improve the law enforcement processes of SLO County. Ian knew Martha Olson-Fernandez and has been a supporter of MOFF since 2012. We are very grateful for his commitment to help us carry out our mission to fight ALS through patient care and research. We look forward to utilizing his strategic insights and community outreach to further the MOFF mission.

Larry Fernandez
Director, CEO
Larry is currently an executive for a private vegetable seed company. He has been an entrepreneur in the seed industry for 35 years. He is the proud father of Andrea and Natalie and enjoys watching them pursue their education and practical learning through their job experiences. When time allows, Larry enjoys hunting and fishing. His desire is to find a cure for ALS.