Mountains Within

""Honest, candid, insightful, and unexpectedly hopeful, Mountains Within: A Life of Achievement, a Quest for Meaning, and the Mountain that Changed Everything by Jack Groppel is not only an inherently fascinating memoir of sports, success, and sacrifice, it is also a compelling and personal story of fatherhood, redemption, and learning that true greatness is measured not in trophies but in love and legacy. Intensely personal but with a universal resonance."" -Midwest Book review ""Jack is a pillar which guided me through my own mountains within with his wisdom and compassion. His stories were vividly told with much detail and imagery. Not only was Mountains Within beautifully written; I was inspired to go look for my next mountain to climb."" -Wendy Bruce Martin, Mother, Wife, and 1992 Olympian (Bronze Medalist, Gymnastics) ""Jack's story is an honest personal exploration of how the drive to achieve can both elevate and consume us, and how love, faith, and parenthood can lead us home again...Candid, insightful, and deeply human, Mountains Within invites readers to look at their own definition of success and consider what truly matters and endures."" -Caren Kenney, CEO & Founder, Evolve Leadership ""Jack's story cuts straight to the truth: the hardest mountain to climb isn't Kilimanjaro-it's the one inside ourselves. This book is for anyone who's ever felt they weren't enough. Jack shows us that transformation isn't about perfection-it's about finally being honest with ourselves."" -Jen Fisher, Bestselling author, Founder & CEO, The Wellbeing Team ""In his book, Mountains Within, Jack's life of impact and lessons learned hold up to us a beautiful life mirror at just the right angle and with just the right light that helps us see a better version of ourselves that is always learning, course-correcting, and repositioning for growth and transformation."" -Joe Jacobi, Olympic Gold Medalist ""Jack has conquered the greatest mountain-the one within-and in doing so, offers a living example of the kind of leader we need in today's world of constant change and uncertainty."" -Karen Moseley, President & CEO, HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization) ""Nothing prepared me for the honesty, vulnerability, and courage shared in his book, Mountains Within. It isn't just a memoir; it's a mirror that serves as a vehicle to explore the universal and deeply human principles about living a more fulfilling and vibrant life. Jack takes us behind the façade of success to reveal the loneliness, faith, and grace it takes to rebuild a life from the inside out."" -William Donovan, President, Pritikin Longevity Center ""This book is more than stories from a brilliant mind; it's a journey of self-discovery that mirrors our own. Jack's willingness to confront his inner struggles-to fill the same holes many of us spend our lives trying to fill-makes his message universal. As a lifelong learner, I found inspiration not only in his achievements, but in his honesty and humanity. This is a work that challenges us to keep learning, keep exploring, and keep striving for purpose-on the court and far beyond it."" -Brian Dillman, CEO, Racquet Sports Professionals Association