Alison Levine - February 22, 2010

Even though she was born with a life-threatening heart condition, Alison Levine has pushed her limits on the world's highest peaks and is considered one of the most experienced female mountaineers in the country. The team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition believes it is important to be able to master harsh environmental challenges. 

“Fear is okay, complacency is what will kill you,” said Ms. Levine about the physical endurance required to climb Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America. At the age of 13, Alison's life-saving surgery gave her the stamina to climb her first set of stairs. “It’s important to use one’s resources wisely,” she said. “You can’t stress the small stuff if you want to get the job done.”

 

The frustrating process of moving up and down mountains to acclimate to high altitudes also taught Ms. Levine the importance of adapting to an ever-changing environment. “Progress doesn’t always occur in one direction,” she said. “Sometimes you have to step backwards to get where you want to go.”

Ms. Levine further emphasized the value of sound judgment and teamwork. “Every move you make effects others around you,” she said upon reflecting on the death of a fellow climber who perished in a tragic mountain accident. "Sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, things can still go wrong. Being part of a team requires you to be responsible and put a smile on your face even in difficult times."

The extremely accomplished 20-year professional career of Ms. Levine, who earned her MBA from Duke University, includes Wall Street investment work with Goldman Sachs and serving as Deputy Finance Director for Arnold Schwarzenegger in his successful bid to become Governor of California. 

Ms. Levine also dedicates herself to improving the lives of jobless women in Africa. After witnessing the area's intense prejudice against women during a mountain climb in Uganda, she founded the Climb High Foundation. "We began training women to work as trekking guides in their local mountains so they could have the basic resources to sustain themselves," said Ms. Levine. Currently, Ms. Levine also serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership for the United States Military Academy at West Point.

"My final message to each of you here today is to rise to the challenge with a 'game on' attitude," she said. "There will always be mountains to climb, but you must be ready to weather the storms."