Mindset, Vision, Passion

For most Elite gymnasts, competing in college gymnastics, making an Olympic team, are some of their biggest goals. For Polish gymnast Kacper Garnczarek that all remains true. However, there’s another goal he’s been striving for throughout his college career: writing an inspirational book. 

“My sophomore year, I was thinking, I always wanted to write a book,” said the Penn State senior. “Why wouldn’t I start it now? So my sophomore year, I put out some plans and started doing some little things. And then a couple months ago, I got my Polish copy.”

The book, titled Today’s Pleasure or Tomorrow’s Success is split into three different sections: focus, how to find happiness, and goal-setting. All three parts exemplify how to motivate and inspire people in different ways. The book will help the reader discover how to regain focus, find real joy, and turn dreams into a plan.

“Let this book not be the end, but just the beginning of something new,” Garnczarek wrote in the book. “It’s not just this book that’s going to change your life, but this will help you to guide you to something.”

Garnczarek also references 16 other books in his writing. Reading his book should be able to propel readers to achieve something beyond themselves. Garnczarek’s writing does not take any pieces from his personal career. He draws inspiration from what other high achieving people have experienced. Mindset, Vision, and Passion are the central goals surrounding the book, also known as MVP. 

When is came to the writing process, Garnczarek had a team surrounding him. He first wrote in Polish, and sent the book off to a former Polish teacher who made necessary adjustments.

“I actually gave it to my Polish teacher, because I wrote it in Polish originally,” Garnczarek said. “I wrote it in Polish. I gave it to my teacher. She restructured everything!  I wrote it again. I also contacted my friend who’s a graphic designer, and he helped me format it well. We chose the cover picture for it and then in Poland, I fully self-published everything. In the U.S., I publish it through Amazon. So it’s also self publishing.” 

Being both a collegiate and Elite gymnast requires a level of determination and drive. Between practice, workouts, classes, there is minimal time to rest. Many of Garnczarek’s teammates spend their free time resting and preparing to relive their busy days once again, but Garnczarek’s wanted a different hobby to occupy his time, and something that would challenge him. He did not grow up as the greatest writer, but strived to become better with each word he wrote. He searched for a good distraction, and wanted to spend his free time with something useful rather than scrolling his phone. 

“I was distracted by a really good thing,” Garnczarek said with a smile. “If I had an hour a day, I wasn’t gonna use it to scroll my phone. It took me forever to write. Two years is a long time. I think it’s a really good thing for athletes, for parents and for people who just want a little bit more from life.”

Garnczarek’s smile beamed from ear-to-ear when talking about his project. It is evident how proud he is to take on this challenge and step out of his comfort zone. His writing inspired himself, and his goal is that it inspires others in the same way. 

“My goal was to write this book. While I was writing this book, I became that person to actually inspire people. I hope I’ll do it because that’s the goal,” Garnczarek said. 

A scale is on the cover of the book. One side is holding a phone, and the other is holding a trophy, showcasing that everyone has the option to choose success. His teammates would say to him “I would love to write a book, but I never have time.” But Garnczarek took advantage of every free moment no matter where he was, if he had a free hour it would be spent writing.