With passion and courage, on this day in 1988, mountain climber Stacy Allison (1958–) became the first American woman to stand at the peak of Mt. Everest, the highest point on Earth.

At the summit, she recalled, “I was wide open now, and I was aware of everything... I was standing on the top, looking down at the world.” That moment was the result of years of preparation, tenacity, and a deep love for the climb.

Born in Portland, Oregon, Allison found her calling young. “Climbing is how I express myself,” she said. Her early adventures took her to Utah’s Zion National Park, then on to Mt. McKinley, Pik Kommunizma in Russia, and Nepal’s 22,488-foot Ama Dablam.

“I’ve always had those little goals that I’ve worked toward — they add up,” she explained. Her ascent of Everest came 35 years after Sir Edmund Hillary’s first. It was her second attempt: in 1987, 150-mph winds forced her to turn back just 3,000 feet from the top.

But Allison persevered. One year later, she stood on the summit via Hillary’s South Ridge route. “Only when we accept full responsibility for our lives will we have the confidence and courage to risk,” she said.

Her story is more than a record in the books — it’s a reminder that the highest peaks are reached by placing one sure step after another, even when the wind howls and the air grows thin.

Allison carried to the top not just her gear, but her belief that bold dreams are worth the climb. The view from any summit is sweetest when it’s your heart that has done the climbing.