ABOUT OLENA

Olena Heu is an accomplished and sought after television personality, entrepreneur and journalist with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Speech Communication from Hawaii Pacific University. As an award-winning reporter and news anchor, she received recognition for her journalistic excellence as a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow award, numerous Society of Professional Journalist awards and recent work has garnered a Telly award and a regional Emmy nomination. In 2004, the Kauai native also held the title of Miss Hawaii representing The Aloha State at the prestigious Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. The founder of a successful marketing and communications firm with clients across the globe, Olena also produces and stars in “Da Best Hawaii” T.V. show and podcast broadcast on Hawaiian TelCom and in-flight on Hawaiian Airlines. During her spare time she enjoys serving the community on the HPU Communications Advisory Board, Hawaii Pacific University Alumni Council, American Heart Association Leader’s Board and volunteers on the Executive Committee for Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen scholarship program (teen affiliate of the Miss America Organization). 

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Additionally, due to strong family history and the results of genetic testing, in the spring of 2019 Olena elected to undergo a prophylactic/preventative double mastectomy without reconstruction. This decision was made a few months after her mother lost her three year fight with metastatic breast cancer (her aunt and grandmother also battled the disease on her maternal side). As a result of the strong family history, genetic testing also revealed a RAD50 genetic mutation increasing her already high risk or predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer; Olena chose to lower her risk by over 90% by having this preventative surgical procedure. Since then, Olena has become an advocate and public speaker related to breast cancer prevention.