University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Alum Spotlight: Lisa Axel
3/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Lisa Axel was a four-year letterwinner for the Gophers from 1999-2002. Seeing action throughout her college career, Axel was also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and helped Minnesota win its first Big Ten title in 2002. Axel not only has a love for volleyball, but a love for adventure. A world traveler, she's turned into an avid mountain climber. Check out this spotlight on this Gopher adventurer.
Gophersports.com: Describe to us your experience while playing at the University of Minnesota?
Lisa Axel: I enjoyed every minute of my college career! My teammates and coaches were absolutely amazing! I dealt with a lot of injuries during my four years but was able to play in all but a handful of matches. I was part of a very successful team as we worked our way up the national rankings during my time at Minnesota, and we were able to win the school’s first ever Big Ten Championship my senior year. One of my favorite memories was my freshman year when we came back from an 0-2 deficit at USC and beat them in a very close fifth set to advance to the Sweet Sixteen! I loved competing at such a high level, and nothing beats playing in front of our amazing fans at the Pav! The University of Minnesota is such a great University with high academic and athletic standards, I could not have imagined going anywhere else! I would give anything to go back and play a few more matches with my teammates.
GS: What did you take away while a student-athlete?
LA: I took away that if I worked hard and put the time into a goal I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. I also perfected my time management skills while being a student-athlete. There are a lot of responsibilities that go along with that title, and to be able to stay on top of your studies while playing and training at such a high level is not an easy feat. You learn how to prioritize the tasks that you have in front of you and how to put the time and effort into being successful at more than one thing. It is such a valuable lesson, and it helps me in my current day-to-day life. To be successful at high-altitude climbing requires hours and hours of training for months on end, and to be able to do that while you also have a full-time job is not easy.
GS: You’ve traveled all over the world. How many countries have you visited? What was your favorite country and why?
LA: I have traveled to twelve countries since I graduated from college. I have enjoyed experiencing the different cultures and meeting people from all over the world. It is hard to choose a favorite but I would have to say Tanzania, Africa. Climbing Kilimanjaro was my first big mountain expedition, and the people I met were amazing! I was also able to go on a four-day safari and saw more animals than I ever could have imagined. You see pictures in books and see videos on TV, but nothing compares to seeing them in person. We drove right through the great migration, and I was fortunate to see all of the big five animals (Lion, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Cape Buffalo, Leopard). I visited a Masai village and was able to jump with the Masai warriors.
GS: We’ve seen a few photos of you mountain climbing. Tell us about your experience?
LA: I really got into mountain climbing when I lived in Denver, Colorado for six years while I was coaching volleyball at the collegiate level. I climbed 24 of the fifty-four 14ers (14,000+ foot mountains) and started to look for the next step to climb the bigger mountains all over the world. In 2013 I went to Africa and climbed Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet. I was immediately hooked on high altitude climbing and the extreme effort and training required to be able to be successful at those altitudes. In early 2015 I made it to 21,654 feet on Aconcagua, which is the highest mountain outside the Himalayas. This was a 16-day expedition which pushed me to my limits. Last Memorial Day I hiked the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim in 25 hours by myself. That was over 47 miles and 20,000 elevation change and was the hardest single day challenge I have ever done. After that I was ready to get back to the mountains, and I just returned from Mexico this January where I climbed three volcanoes. The tallest volcano was Pico de Orizaba which is the highest volcano in North America at 18,491 feet. I love pushing myself to see how far I can go, and climbing at such high elevations is just an unbelievable experience. The views from the top of these mountains are just indescribable. I felt like I was on top of the world!
GS: What location is still on your bucket list?
LA: My bucket list is pretty long requiring a lot of travel. One of my main goals is to climb the volcanic seven summits, which is the highest volcano on each continent. I have summited two of them already, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Pico de Orizaba in North America. I still have five pretty tough climbs ahead and would like to do Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border next. It is the tallest volcano in the world at 22,615 ft.
GS: During your adventures, what has been the most challenging for you and why?
LA: My most challenging trip would definitely be when I climbed Aconcagua last year down in Argentina. It was a 16-day expedition, and the conditions at times were pretty brutal. For most of the climb I was carrying a 65-pound backpack at very high altitudes. We had two of our eight climbers medevacked off the mountain while three others decided to fly out before the climb was over. The winds were so intense at times that the ropes holding our tents broke. I made it to 21,654 feet, just shy of the summit at 22,838 feet. It was one of the hardest decisions that I have had to make, but my first goal on these climbs is to make it home, and my second goal is to summit. I knew I could make it to the summit, but I could not be sure I would be in the right frame of mind to make it through the dangerously exposed sections on the way down to high camp. I had made it farther than anyone else in my group, and I still felt that it was a successful trip and an unbelievable adventure!
