Unofficial Networks was lucky enough to score an interview with Mountain Hardwear athlete and member of Team USA Jesse Grupper before he headed to Paris to represent America in sport climbing at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Bit of background, Jesse started climbing at the age of six and took part in his first climbing events at the age of nine. He graduated from Tufts University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2019 and has been primarily working on mobility devices since he left school. Since moving to Salt Lake City, however, Jesse has been focused on training and competition climbing full time. In 2023, he won gold in both boulder & lead at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile and with those wins under his belt, he earned a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics to climb for Team USA.
Jesse was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us. He is also a super cool dude so we had some fun with it and threw him a few curveballs. Enjoy.
What is you favorite piece of climbing equipment?
JESSE: Climbing shoes! It’s crazy how different shoes can do sooo many different things. At the end of the day, trust is always most important, but I think shoe technology has come a long way in the sport
What’s your go to pump-up music?
JESSE: Moana, Encanto, Hamilton…really Disney/musicals that make you dream big!
Has climbing ever helped your regular life, kite in a tree…locked out second story entry?
JESSE: You nailed it with the second one. I once was locked out of my second floor apartment and climbed over the unlocked balcony to open the front door. Apart from that I haven’t been able to use my superpower for good as often as I’d like.
Do you climb in your dreams?
JESSE: One of my dads favorite stories to tell about my climbing is that at one competition when I was a kid he woke up one night, and saw me miming out climbing moves in the air above me with my hands. Climbing is the language I love to speak, so I guess it’s natural that it’s what I dream in a lot.
Has your degree in mechanical engineering ever helped in climbing?
JESSE: Both passions require problem solving at a high level. With engineering you’re given a problem statement and it’s up to you to create a product that’s suitable to the users needs. Climbing is the same way – you’re given a start and a finish and there are many ways to go from one point to the other – it’s up to you to figure out how.
Why isn’t there competitive down-climbing?
JESSE: Tell me about it! I honestly do a lot of down climbing in my training to link more moves together. It’s a challenging skill and I would love to see a competition in it!
Whose feet have it worse, ballet dancers or climbers?
JESSE: I don’t have many ballet dancer friends, but you don’t want to be anywhere near my toes 🙂
What’s one sport that you’d like to see added to the Olympics?
JESSE: Competitive downclimbing seems pretty tempting, but I also think displaying climbing as an art more with collaborations between setters and climbers in a competition format would be really cool. Often athletes in competitions are adapting to what the setters have given them, rather than getting the opportunity to express their maximum ability level in the sport by creating problems that suite their styles.
One thing in climbing culture that you’d like to elevate?
JESSE: Climbing journeys. I think social media makes everything abbreviated and I think it can be hard to share some of the passion and joy that we feel so consistently while trying to push our limits.
One thing in climbing culture you’d like to never see again?
JESSE: Spandex?
What’s with the rubber ducky you carry in your chalk bag?
JESSE: I was given a rubber ducky eraser by my partner when I was first taking off for the World Cup circuit. To me ducks have represented the notion of grace and elegance on water, while simultaneously always working hard underneath the surface. For me this is a metaphor for my climbing. I might not be the most talented climber, but I’m going to work hard to get to where I want to go, and hopefully find some grace and elegance in the process.
The best travel hack?
JESSE: Using a white noise app while I sleep! I hate being in a new place and being woken up by morning construction, cars, or just new sounds in general. I feel like this has greatly improved my sleep game on the road.
Any coaches or climbing gyms you want to shoutout?
JESSE: Randi Goldberg has been a long time coach and mentor of mine – she started coaching me at New Jersey Rock Gym when I was nine and has been with me throughout this whole crazy process! Philadelphia Rock Gym also has a special place in my heart. The gym and community really motivated me as a kid with outdoor trips and frequent competitions.
It was a pleasure getting to chat with Jesse and we can’t wait to see him in Paris. ALLEZ JESSE!!!
Images from Daniel Gajda