“I think that experience was a good reminder, in a lot of ways, of just how lucky we are to be doing what we love.” “It’s incredibly exciting for me to know that I was able to persevere through those challenges,” he said. Grupper recovered quickly enough to win team trials, the second selection event for the U.S. Jesse Grupper competes in the men's bouldering event during the 2022 IFSC Climbing World Cup on in Salt Lake City. Two weeks later, COVID-19 hit, and he was bed-ridden for a few days. He was diagnosed with a grade 2 lateral collateral ligament sprain. “I was just climbing in the gym, like a normal session, and I just did kind of a regular hook move that I had done several times before,” said Grupper, “and I just heard a pop, came down and couldn’t use my leg like I normally do.”

Grupper, from Upper Montclair, New Jersey, is just happy to be healthy after beginning this year with a knee injury and a bout with COVID-19. I’m enjoying the ride, and I feel like I’m making steady progress.” “It’s cool to feel like an expert in a sport for so long and then still have so much to learn within it. The (USA Climbing) training center has been a huge help in that journey. So, it’s been really interesting and fun for me to switch gears and kind of get into this bouldering shape. “Pretty exciting to kick off the season there,” Grupper said. I guess I haven’t really stopped since.”Ĭurrently, Grupper is competing in the 2023 world cup season, which began April 21-23 with a bouldering event in Hachioji, Japan. “I started competing when I was like nine or 10.

“I had a ton of energy as a kid,” he said. Grupper discovered the sport at age six when older sister Maddy began taking climbing lessons. It was pretty cool to be able to have those pieces come together.” “I’ve been doing this sport for over 14 years, and the 15th year was the year that it all kind of came together, and I was able to really show myself on that stage. “It felt like something just clicked within this long journey. “It definitely felt like a breakout year,” Grupper said. Overall, he finished third in men’s lead and fifth in men’s bouldering & lead among the world’s climbers.

Instead, he ascended a total of four podiums, including a pair of gold medals. Grupper, 26, had set a goal of earning one medal during the climbing campaign. Take competitive climber Jesse Grupper, who had his during the 2022 world cup season. Jesse Grupper reacts after climbing in the men's bouldering event during the 2022 IFSC Climbing World Cup on in Salt Lake City.Īthletes can experience breakthroughs at unexpected times.

Well that was unexpected jesse sutanto