PERFORMANCE DRIVEN

“I figured if I only get to do it once, it’s not going to be in Pasadena,” says the co-CEO of the Los Angeles–based design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), which conceived interiors for the Four Seasons Beijing, the Beverly Hills Hotel renovation, and dozens of other renowned properties worldwide. “I had to find a place that would be really different.” And that is how the 50-year-old Dane ended up in a helicopter with a small group of Russians over the North Pole.

“It was really windy and the boss of the expedition was not going to fly up again and waste fuel, so he said, ‘It’s now or never.’ I remember freezing my butt off flying up, but when it came time to jump, the adrenaline made me pretty warm. Your mind detaches from your body in situations like that.”

Kærskov doesn’t pursue activities like parachuting over the North Pole simply for the adrenaline rush. He is driven by a die-hard competitive spirit. “But I’m not necessarily competing with others,” he says. “I like to compete with myself. Finding new personal limits is really what drives me.”

When listening to Kærskov describe some of his pursuits, it becomes very clear that pushing boundaries is a big part of his everyday life—both in business and in his adventures. He started at HBA as an office clerk at its London branch 27 years ago, going on to become CFO and then COO. Now as co-CEO, he oversees HBA’s 25 international offices and has helped grow the company from 175 to 1,500 employees worldwide, and from $20 million to more than $127 million in annual revenue.

One of Kærskov’s grueling physical activities outside of work is running marathons—which he has done on all seven continents. When he was in Antarctica, where he also visited the South Pole, a snowstorm prevented him and a group of 20 others from running the marathon. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him. With the group’s escape plane just 8 hours away, Kærskov decided to run 1 mile from camp and back 13 times—the distance equivalent of a marathon. “The first time I came back, one Norwegian skier came out of the tent and took a picture of this silly guy going back and forth,” he recalls. “More and more people came out every time I came back. I did manage to run it, with about half an hour left before the plane arrived.”

Kærskov has also broken the sound barrier in a MiG-29, crossed the barrier into North Korea, and experienced zero gravity—the latter as training for his eventual trip to space with Virgin Galactic. “I signed up 11 years ago as one of the first guys,” he says. “I think of it as the ultimate adventure.”

As Virgin Galactic is still flight testing its latest spacecraft, VSS Unity, Kærskov has begun planning his next adventure, which is not all that much less lofty than space travel. Next January, he will embark on a journey to climb the world’s seven tallest volcanoes, starting with Mount Sidley in Antarctica.

“I can do it because it’s there,” he says. “When I was growing up, I would never say that I was the smartest kid in school or the most technical kid in sports, but I would always keep going, not stopping when others would get tired or bored or give up."

“There are two things I always bring to these extreme places: my red bottle and my green bottle. I learned this while I was stuck in a tent in Antarctica during a snowstorm. The green bottle is for drinking and the red one is for relieving yourself. And you better not suffer from any color blindness.”

“For running, the key is to have the basic stuff. Don’t try to run in a cotton shirt in minus 40 degrees. You’ve got to run in stuff you can sweat in. It’s all about the layering in the cold climates. For shoes, I run in New Balance—two or three sizes too big so you can fit plenty of socks in there.”

“At the Poles, Canada Goose jackets are a must. I think that’s pretty much my favorite thing for the cold climate: my big ol’ red Canada Goose jacket.

And I always bring a knife. Even a small pocket Swiss Army knife is good.”

After growing up in the Soviet Union, studying in the United States, and working for 16 years on Wall Street as a fund manager and executive, she started climbing mountains. She got her climbing legs for five years and then decided to conquer Mount Everest, which she knew would take considerable preparation.

“As a person who managed risks on a daily basis—that being market risk or stock risk or performance risk—I broke down the problem,” says Gordon, recalling when she first decided to conquer Everest. “I asked myself, ‘Why do people perish on high altitude?’ It’s because of cold injuries, altitude sickness, and lack of endurance. So I devised drills and a routine around that, with many hours of preparation. When you think about top performers, they are people who can break down a problem that seems unattainable into small goals and get motivated to conquer that problem step by step.”

Gordon—who now lives in London and is a mother of two—took many small steps before climbing Everest, and then she started taking much bigger steps. In October 2015, she embarked on a journey to climb the tallest peak on every continent and ski to both the North and South Pole. The challenge is called the Explorer’s Grand Slam and Gordon wanted to do it faster than any woman had before.

Seven months and 19 days after she began, Gordon completed the Explorer’s Grand Slam, setting two Guinness World Records. She put her life on hold during that period, but she was able to see her family between climbs and called them via Skype throughout the journey, including from the Everest base camp.

During her incredible journey, Gordon blogged about her experience on the website for her foundation, Grit&Rock, which she established to help underprivileged teenage women build grit, determination, and self-confidence through a yearlong mountaineering training program. In the charity's first year, 60 young women participated in the program, and last fall Grit&Rock launched three pilot programs in the United Kingdom.

'When I was thrown out of my comfort zone skiing to the South Pole, I asked myself. 'What allowed me, a woman in my 40s, to embark on this challenge?' I realized that I was able to tap into my mental resilience and endurance," says Gordon, recalling her motivation for creating Grit&Rock. "If we can develop these qualities in young women, we can help build the confidence of these girls, which lags significantly compared to boys of the same age. This so-called bravery deficit could be addressed through priming, and we could help inspire girls to break that ultimate ice ceiling."

Today, Gordon serves on the board of several firms and organizations, in addition to running her foundation, being a mother to her seven-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter, and preparing for her next adventure.

“I’m currently planning to climb an 8,500-meter peak called Makalu—which is just 400 meters short of Everest but with higher fatality rates,” says Gordon. “It’s about 10 miles away and I simply fell in love with the view of that mountain when I was climbing Everest. Fewer than 200 people in history have climbed it and very few women. After this amazing endurance test, I have obviously balanced it with continued professional life and my family, so I’m hoping for just two short expeditions a year—which will keep me keen, keep me fit, and help me have that beautiful life of those two worlds.”

To keep up with Gordon’s ongoing adventures, visit her website, Grit&Rock.com, and follow her on Instragram: @gritandrock

“I have two sets of Wagner skis. And they are building a new pair of skis for me as we speak—probably a couple new pairs, actually. I’ve got everyone in the family on Wagner skis.

It’s been amazing. Honestly, it’s changed my wife’s skiing completely. She’s skiing like she’s an 18-year-old again. It’s so cool to see. The impact of the Wagner ski and how it’s designed for you really does make a difference. And I’m working on new boots. I’m in Lange ski boots right now.”

“I’ve got a quiver of bikes. I have a couple Reeb Fat Tires— that’s beer spelled backwards—plus a couple Santa Cruz bikes and a Specialized mountain bike. The Fat Tire on the snow is a blast. I haven’t gotten in to road biking yet. That might be on the list.”