Love. Hope.

The Will To Live.

A message that saves lives.

John Trautwein is a former professional athlete, business leader, author, motivational speaker and nationally recognized advocate for teen mental health. Request the book, inquire about bulk orders, or invite John to speak to your school, church, team, or community. His message of hope has been recognized across the country.

• Presidential Point of Light Winner • 500+ Speeches Nationwide • The Life Teammates® Message of Hope

• Presidential Point of Light Winner • 500+ Speeches Nationwide • The Life Teammates® Message of Hope

Coming May 5, 2026

The Will to Live The Will to Live
The Will to Live
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A powerful true story of loss, love, and purpose that helps parents, educators, and teens recognize the silent struggles of mental illness, reduce stigma, and strengthen the will to live. Rooted in the belief that friends are lifelines, this book equips communities to show up well for young people.

Written With Passion and Honesty:

In this debut memoir, a businessman details how he used the most excruciating experience of his life to help save others… Written with passion and honesty, this book shares each step of the author’s journey, making an unbearable tale of suicide readable and inspirational”

Kirkus Book Review

An inspirational story about Life Teammates, and the power we have to Deliver Hope To Each Other, and create a culture where it is “okay to not be okay”

Where to Purchase

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
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Bookshop
Hudson
Target
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About John Trautwein

John Trautwein is a former professional athlete, business leader, author, and nationally recognized advocate for teen mental health. A native of Barrington, Illinois, he graduated from Northwestern University in 1984 with a degree in Chemistry, where he also captained the university’s baseball team. After college, he spent seven years as a professional pitcher with the Montreal Expos and the Boston Red Sox organizations, including pitching for the 1988 American League East Champion Boston Red Sox.

Following his athletic career, John built a successful leadership path in the technology services industry and currently serves as the Chief Customer Officer of Source Support Services, a global services company headquartered in the Atlanta area, his family’s home since 1997. John and his wife Susie are the proud parents of four children.

In October 2010, John’s life changed forever with the heartbreaking loss of his oldest child, 15-year-old Will, to suicide. In the weeks that followed, John, Susie, and their “Life Teammates®” founded The Will To Live Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of teen suicide while empowering young people to “deliver hope” to each other and strengthen their own will to live.

John’s message has been recognized by organizations such as CNN, USA Today, Fox Sports, and Major League Baseball, and he and Susie were honored with the George W. Bush Presidential Point of Light Award for their work bringing hope to teens and families.

Book John to Speak

  • "If the most powerful transformation known to humanity is taking something negative that happens to you and turning it into something positive for others -- and I fully believe that to be the case -- then John Trautwein is one powerful man. He writes straight from the heart. And his words will save lives. The story Trautwein shares in these pages -- a remarkable journey of passion and purpose -- will literally save lives."

    — Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize winner, author of Season of Life

  • “John Trautwein tackles a topic that impacts all of us in one way or another. His straight forward and passionate approach puts light on a topic that personally impacted his life. His is a message of hope and addresses how we can all join together, as Life Teammates, to address this horrific issue”.

    Rand Harbert, State Farm Retired EVP, Chief Agency, Sales and Marketing Officers

  • “John Trautwein.....athlete...scientist...businessman and family man...... who as a big league pitcher helped my own teenage son figure out the ‘physics’ of the distance a tape measure home run by Bo Jackson traveled, proving that athletes can be students too. A Husband and Dad whose life is centered on his family. John's compelling story shows us how he dealt with the ultimate family tragedy of losing an child, and used it to inspire and guide other families facing the effects of depression and other mental illnesses that can lead to teen age suicide.”

    — Joe Castiglione, Voice Of The Red Sox and Author of “Can You Believe It”

  • “John was the ultimate teammate throughout his baseball career. He is now the ultimate teammate for a much larger team...young people, their loved ones and all of us who can have an impact on preventing teenage suicide. His willingness to share his raw emotions about his son Will’s suicide is John’s way of being the best teammate he can be in a campaign to prevent suicide. And we need to listen”.

    Ron Wellman, Former Athletic Director, Wake Forest University

  • "The Will To Live is A must read if you have a teenager in your life.”

    — Stephany Fisher, CBS News, Atlanta

  • “John Trautwein’s story inspires hope… and drives people toward action.”

    — Joe Girardi, former MLB player and manager

  • “Read The Will To Live, then reach out to someone in need.”

    — Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports / MLB Network

The Will To Live Foundation

The Will To Live Foundation, Inc. is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing love, hope, and understanding to young people by raising awareness of teen suicide and the silent struggles of mental illness. Founded in October 2010 by John and Susie Trautwein after the tragic loss of their oldest son, Will, the foundation was built on a simple yet powerful belief: friends are lifelines.

Visit willtolive.org

Book + Speaking Inquiries

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