Many people in the Lyme disease community know Colonel Nicole Malachowski’s story.

They know she is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who lost her career, her health, and much of her daily functioning to Lyme disease. They know she has spoken publicly about neurological Lyme, medical gaslighting, and the long road back from a condition that is still widely misunderstood.

She was also a member of the exclusive committee that produced the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report “The Evidence Base for Lyme Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses Treatment.”

However, not everyone knows that she is world-class speaker on leadership, overcoming adversity and building strong teams.

On April 29 in Northern Virginia, Nicole will receive the Sales Leadership Speaker of the Year Award from the Institute for Effective Professional Selling (IEPS), recognizing her impact as a leadership speaker and advocate.

While the award comes from the business world, the moment is meaningful to the Lyme community as well.

A well-known journey

Before becoming ill, Nicole’s career was built around elite performance. She flew fighter jets, served in senior government roles, and worked in high-pressure environments where focus, stamina, and cognitive precision were required every day.

After a tick bite, she developed Lyme disease and related co-infections. The illness affected her nervous system, causing severe fatigue, cognitive impairment, and physical limitations. Like many Lyme survivors, she went through long periods of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.

This part of her story is familiar to many in the Lyme community.

Returning to public life

Over time, through proper care and persistence, Nicole slowly recovered enough to rebuild her life. She did not return to her previous career in aviation, but she began a new one as a leadership and resilience speaker.

She speaks openly about chronic illness, traumatic brain injury, and what it means to lose everything and start again. Her work focuses on helping leaders, teams, and organizations understand how people perform under stress, trauma, and long-term health challenges.

For Lyme patients, her public voice has been especially important because she names experiences that are often ignored or minimized.

What the award represents

The Sales Leadership Speaker of the Year Award is given to speakers who bring meaningful insight to sales leaders and organizations. Nicole is being recognized for the way she connects leadership, human performance, and real-world adversity.

For people living with Lyme disease, the award represents something else as well.

It is a reminder that serious illness does not erase a person’s ability to lead, contribute, or be respected. It shows that someone who lost nearly everything to Lyme disease can still be recognized at a national level.

Fred Diamond, author of “Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor” and host of the popular podcast of the same name, is the President of the IEPS.

He said, “We are thrilled to recognize Nicole with this esteemed award at our 16^th annual Sales Excellence Awards. Our audience will see someone who understands what it means to get past huge adversity and find a way to achieve success.”

Fred has featured Nicole on his podcast twice and has seen her speak numerous times. As an advocate for Lyme disease treatment and awareness, he is excited to recognize her as the sixth recipient of the award.

“Hers is a key message we’re excited to have our audience of sales and business leaders, many who serve public sector markets, hear at the event. Nicole is the perfect recipient of this award. As a military veteran, many of those in attendance who serve the public sector markets will have a deep resonance of her message.”

More information on the event can be found here.

SOURCE:  The Institute for Effective Professional Selling