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The affinity for nature and a desire to stay fit have taken Lisa Abbott, MBA ’93, rock and ice climbing, scuba diving and to the finish lines of marathons. Last spring, she added another adventure to the list: Mount Everest.

After winning this experience in a charity auction for the American Alpine Club, Abbott went to Nepal for a guided two-week trek through the Khumbu Valley to the Everest base camp at 17,598 feet, a challenging journey mentally and physically because of the thin air, but rewarding too.

“The views were mind-blowing,” she says. “I’ve spent time in high peaks like the Rockies and Cascades, but those feel like hills.”

Abbott credits her father — an avid backpacker in his younger days — for inspiring her love of the outdoors. Her dad, as well as his father, were influential in another way: Their struggles with heart disease provided motivation to stay active.

“You can’t totally exercise away a family history, but I focus on what I can control,” she says. “I’m very physically active — some would say to a fault. I eat a healthy diet and I don’t smoke.”

She’s committed to increasing awareness of heart disease and what people can do to mitigate their risks. Abbott is chair of the Southern New England Heart Walk in Providence, R.I. Though she loves mountain climbing, she says it’s not necessary for everyone to take on something so difficult.

“There are so many risk factors within our control. Even small changes can make a big difference.”