The balancing act of Jesse Grupper: Sport climber and altruistic mechanical engineer

With his vibrant energy and sharp intellect, Jesse Grupper stands out in the world of sport climbing. 

The 26-year-old made a significant impact during the 2022 ISC World Cup season, securing four podium finishes, including two victories.

In addition to his exceptional climbing skills, the American also workds as an engineering research fellow at Harvard University, specialising in rehabilitation technology and soft robotic educational technology.

This unique combination of physical prowess and intellectual pursuits sets Jesse apart from his peers.

“I find that it helps me perform at my best when I'm able to also think about other things,” Jesse Grupper told Olympics.com. “Throughout my whole life I've kind of had this dichotomy of focusing on school and competitive climbing.”

“Through college I became a mechanical engineer, and I want to continue to hone those skills. I would say overall I'm really focused on unlocking human potential to the best of my ability, which involves myself but also helping others find their own potential. Mechanical engineering is my avenue to allow others to achieve that too and having that balance really makes me happy overall.”

The interest in mechanical engineering sparked when Grupper was working at a nonprofit organisation. He helped children with physical disabilities and taught them how to climb rocks.

Meanwhile, the climber was trying to figure out what he was going to study, but the experience he had working with disabled children opened his eyes to the career path he should take.

“It was a really eye-opening experience, where I got to work with these kids who might have some setback in life. But when they're on the wall, they have the same challenges, and they have the same ability to persevere over those challenges. That process really opened my eyes to what technology can do for people who might not have the same physical abilities that others might have,” he said.

The camaraderie and the community of climbing that Grupper experienced through his job and at competitions have always been important to him. His contributions even earned him the Young Gun Award for his great sportsmanship and climbing skills when he was younger.

Jesse Grupper’s work-climbing balance

Climbing has been in Grupper’s life since the age of six. The American discovered it through his sister, who was taking classes at the local gym. “I had like a ton of energy as a kid, and I didn't want to just sit on the couch”, Grupper said.

He started competing at the age of 11, and in 2015, Grupper started balancing sport climbing with his mechanical engineering studies at Tufts University, where he quickly noticed similarities between the two fields.

“Climbing and mechanical engineering definitely share a lot of general skills with one another. I think they're both a puzzle. You start with this general idea or this general challenge, and you have to reach the end in whatever way that you can. It takes a lot of creativity. It takes a lot of hard work, and it takes a lot of dedication,” Grupper said.

After finishing his studies, the sport climber started working at the Harvard Biodesign Lab. Currently, he is working there remotely part-time, while participating in all the World Cup events.

“It definitely makes it challenging to schedule a meeting when I'm six hours ahead and they're six hours behind, but I make it work. A lot of the time we have Wi-Fi, and I think compared to my training schedule, I probably have more resting time during competitions than throughout other training cycles in the year,” he said.

“I think it's also important for me to have that balance and have something else to think about. It's kind of like a little bit of therapy away from climbing.”

From the outside, the engineer's life can seem a bit busy, but Grupper also makes sure that his mind is in the right place and that he does not get stressed out.

“I do yoga every day just to kind of get in my own routine. I also have been practicing meditation throughout the past year or two to really be present and able to perform when I need to, and also just relaxed when I need to”.

“The mind can work against you as well as set you back. But I also think a well-trained mind can push you forward very far,” Grupper explained.

Rock climbing vs sport climbing

When Grupper is not competing or training for sport climbing events, he enjoys practising rock climbing too.

It gives him a break from the competitive side of the sport, but also the chance to explore some of the beautiful sights around the world.

“I balance rock climbing with competition climbing a decent amount throughout the year. I find that competitive climbing is definitely something that motivates me. But I think rock climbing for me is an escape in a way to just appreciate nature and appreciate the sport in a whole different way,” Grupper said.

“I think having the balance allows me to have fun with the sport and continue to enjoy it. I think if I was just focused on one, especially like competitions, it would be really challenging to keep my head up throughout the year and continually perform at my best.”

Learning a new discipline

The 26-year-old trains in Salt Lake City and is mainly a lead climber, but has recently tried to improve his bouldering shape, as he wants to compete in Boulder and Lead combined (B&L) at the Paris 2024 Olympics. A challenge he welcomes.

“Learning for me is always a real treat. I think I've seen that with climbing this year. Before last year I hadn't done any bouldering world cups for instance, and this year I've been really focusing on them,” he explained.

“It’s just an amazing opportunity to be able to do a sport like climbing for 15 years and then have this whole side discipline that I haven't explored and be able to learn new skills with it too. I think that having an open mind of you just wanting to self-improve is the most important part.”

What the future holds for Grupper, he still does not know. But the American hopes that he can keep doing, what he is doing at the moment for a long time.

“Right now I'm really enjoying having this balance of engineering and also climbing to my maximum potential. I definitely hope to continue to push myself on the competitive side of things, but also I have big goals for outdoor climbing, and I hope I get the chance to explore those too. it's definitely an amazing privilege to be able to focus on climbing right now.”