Alison Levine wants to go back to Antarctica.
The last time the adventurer and entrepreneur was there, she became the first American woman to ski to the South Pole via the 600-mile Messner Route.
Two years later, in 2010, the 44-year-old San Francisco resident did something even more impressive: She put the finishing touch on the Adventure Grand Slam by climbing Mount Everest.
Only 12 people worldwide have ever achieved the awesome accomplishment of the Adventure Grand Slam, which consists of climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents and skiing to both the North and South poles.
And she did all of that (over a 12-year period) with a life-threatening heart condition and a blood vessel disorder that inhibits blood flow to the surface of the skin of her fingers and toes, leaving her at extreme risk for frostbite.
As the president of San Francisco–based Daredevil Strategies, Levine delivers motivational speeches that combine her knowledge and love of mountaineering with 20 years experience in the business world. According to a San Francisco Chronicle story in 2008, she charges $15,000 per hour onstage.
She also runs the Climb High Foundation, a nonprofit that provides clothing, equipment and training to Ugandan women, enabling them to earn a living in the trekking industry.
Levine, who grew up in Arizona and now lives in San Francisco, will be the keynote speaker at the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s Power of One on Feb. 7. The annual event is a celebration of inspirational Jewish men and women.
She spoke to j. by phone during a recent stop in Southern California.
Q: Without giving too much away, what topics do you plan to cover on Feb. 7?
A: What I typically cover depends on the audience I am addressing and what they would like me to focus on. For the Power of One event, I will focus on how to have an impact on the world around you, throughout your day-to-day life. I relate all that to the mountains I have climbed and expeditions I have led, and what I’ve learned along the way.
Q: How do you balance the work you do for Daredevil Strategies and the Climb High Foundation?
A: I split my time between addressing organizations and businesses about leadership skills, team building, dealing with changing environments, setting goals and overcoming challenges, and collecting shipments to send to Ugandan women climbing the Rwenzori Mountains. Every couple of years I’ll go to Uganda. I function well on very little sleep. Sometimes I work through the night and sleep when I can, like on a plane during the day.
Q: What role has Judaism played in your journey?
A: A big message I take away from Judaism is giving back to people around you. It’s not about just going through life as who you are, it’s what you leave behind when you’re gone. Have some impact on this planet. You don’t need money. Each individual can be an architect of change.
Q: What do you think about when you’re climbing mountains?
A: When I’m on a mountain, I am thinking about what I can learn and absorb from the experience to help me on the next climb. I watch other people and pay attention to the environment around me. Regardless of how many mountains I’ve climbed, I always consider myself a beginner. Completing 10 great climbs doesn’t mean you can let down your guard on the 11th.
Q: Do you bring any good-luck charms with you?
A: I do. The name of a friend of mine who passed away is engraved on my ice axe. And I have a ritual of always painting my toe nails bright red. I have the packing down to a science, and I try not to leave anything behind.
Q: Is there a mountain or peak that you consider a favorite?
A: I have a special place in my heart for western Uganda, and always love going back there. In 2005, I got over there to climb and saw a need to give jobs to women who had no source of income or a way to support themselves. My organization now trains jobless women to work in the mountains.
Q: What motivates you to continue climbing mountains?
A: I am always looking for my next adventure. I want to experience so many different things while I’m here on this planet, and you learn a lot more when you go off the grid, or pop out the travel books and explore on your own. I am inspired by the early mountaineers who have the paved the way to follow in their footsteps. Yet like anything, there is a trade off. I can take two months off and go to Nepal, but if I’m not on an adventure, I’m on an airplane for work.
Q: What advice do you offer for women who strive to be where you are today?
A: Be very failure tolerant. If you try something and don’t succeed, look back on the experience and figure out what went wrong and what you can do better. Keep trying until you nail it.
Q: When you’re back in San Francisco, do you have any favorite spots?
A: I’m maybe home one or two days a month. But when I’m back, I love going to Balboa Café for a Balboa burger or Harris’ for a big rib eye steak.
Power of One is scheduled for 5 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason St., S.F. $125 per person, $70 for 35 and under. Information: (415) 369-2868 or www.jewishfed.org.