Alison receiving Courage Award from NFL legend Lynn Swann
Alison Levine began climbing mountains in 1998, 18 months after her second heart surgery. She has since served as the team captain of the first American Women's Everest expedition, climbed peaks on every continent and skied more than 100 miles to reach the top of the world -- the geographic North Pole. In January 2008, she made history as the first American to reach the South Pole on skis via a remote 600-mile route across west Antarctica. She is also credited with opening up the mountaineering industry in Uganda to local women, who previously were not permitted to climb due to cultural beliefs.
Alison with Senator John McCain and CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Alison has earned many honors for her achievements and her ability to overcome adversity, including the Anaheim Angels Courage in Sports Award for Amateur Athlete of the Year. She was once named one of San Francisco's Top Business Leaders Under 40 and was listed as one of Arizona's (her native state) Most Interesting People. She received the Women Helping Women Award from Soroptimist International and has been recognized by the International Mentoring Network Organization and Rotary International. Entrepreneur Magazine profiled Alison in March 2008 as did Investor's Business Daily. She is also the subject of the PBS documentary "Living Courageously."
Her accomplishments are featured in numerous books, including More Than 85 Broads (McGraw Hill), In Extremis Leadership (Wiley & Sons) and Smart Moves (Ten Speed Press).