The Riley Gruppo Show
Riley Gruppo
The Riley Gruppo Show
Faith, fitness, health, business, entrepreneurship … real stories, real tools, no filter. Your past doesn’t define you. Your standard does. Together, we’re building yours
Faith Over Statistics: Marine Corps Captain and Team USA Athlete Riley Tejcek on Defying the Odds
Riley Gruppo sits down with Riley Tejcek, an active duty Marine Corps Captain, former Team USA athlete, and national pageant competitor, to talk about the one constant that’s carried her through every impossible odd: faith.
They dig into how she kept going when the statistics said she shouldn’t, how she tuned out what other people expected of her, and how faith became the foundation under everything she’s built, from the Marine Corps to Team USA to the pageant stage. This is a conversation about what it actually takes to become the exception, not the statistic.
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Podcast Details
Faith, fitness, health, business, entrepreneurship - real stories, real tools, no filter. If Riley has lived it, she is speaking on it. When she has not, she brings on someone who has.
This show was born out of personal tragedy and a renewed relationship with God. It is built on a simple truth: your past does not define you, and neither does what anyone else says you are supposed to be. What defines you is the standard you are willing to hold for your future and refuse to negotiate on.
Each episode digs into real tools, real setbacks, and real stories. From invisible injuries to the wins nobody sees. From the moments that break you to the ones that rebuild you. Riley pulls back the curtain on the topics most people are afraid to say out loud - trauma, PTSD, TBI, therapy, dating, loss, betrayal, and the complicated reality of actually doing the work to heal. You will also hear honest conversations on leadership, resilience, personal responsibility, mindset, and what it takes to come back stronger than before.
This is not a highlight reel. It is honest, human conversation rooted in lived experience rather than theory. Whether you are a veteran or first responder exiting service, a high performer stuck at a level you have outgrown, a professional in a transition moment who needs clarity and discipline, or someone who knows you are capable of more but lacks the structure to prove it, this show meets you exactly where you are. Your past doesn't define you. Your standard does. Together, we're building yours.
About the host
Riley Gruppo
Former U.S. Army Infantry Officer | Human Performance & Leadership Strategist
Riley Gruppo is a former U.S. Army Infantry Officer and Human Performance Strategist who works with military reserve units to strengthen readiness, discipline, and leadership in dual-mission environments.
Having served in high-pressure operational settings, Riley understands the unique demands placed on Reservists balancing civilian careers, family responsibilities, and military readiness. Her work focuses on helping service members maintain structure, confidence, and physical and mental performance despite limited training time and competing priorities.
Through her Mind. Body. Leadership.TM framework, Riley delivers practical, applicable tools that support unit cohesion, leadership presence, and individual accountability. Her sessions emphasize self-command, resilience under stress, and sustainable performance both in uniform and in civilian life.
Riley partners with military units to deliver keynote talks, interactive workshops, and leadership sessions, available depending on mission alignment. 
