After losing her husband to cancer around the same time she herself was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, you might think a woman left to raise three teenagers on her own would crumble. But Sally Kalksma took her anger out on, well, stairs. She channeled her emotions into stair-climbing competitions, racing up some of the world's most notable buildings like the Empire State and the Eiffel Tower.

She is also writing a book called Life Gets in the Way about her trials and her ability to see humor in anything, including her own circumstances. Listen to Kalksma's infectious energy as she takes you through how to cope with loss, cancer, and 600 floors' worth of stairs on this episode of SheVentures.