[1] Valova is now remarried to German Galusha and has a son, Roman, born in 1996.

Valova began training at age seven under Tatiana Mishina, Alexei Mishin, and Nina Monahova.

As a pair skater, she was coached by Tamara Moskvina, who partnered her with Oleg Vasiliev.

They won bronze at the Prize of Moscow News, gold at the 1982 Skate America, and then silver at the 1983 European Championships.

After performing for a year in Igor Bobrin's ice theatre, they signed a U.S. contract – the first Soviets to do so without losing their citizenship.

She currently teaches skating at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.