Lori Vollkommer’s life has been shaped by moments that would have ended many dreams. Instead, they became the foundation for something extraordinary.
As a teenager, Vollkommer trained at the Eastern Gymnastics Center and represented Sayville High School. With aspirations of competing in college—and maybe even the Olympics—that trajectory was shattered when she fell from the uneven bars and broke her back.
Unaware of the severity of her injury, she finished the meet before the pain made the truth undeniable. With that fall, her gymnastics career—and the future she envisioned—came to an abrupt end. Life moved on.
Vollkommer stayed close to home, built a family, and helped run the construction business she and her husband, her high school sweetheart, created together in Center Moriches. Gymnastics became a quiet ache, one so emotional that for years she couldn’t even watch the sport on television.
Decades later, fate intervened again. As an adult, Vollkommer slipped and injured her back a second time, just as her middle son, a wrestler, broke his own back. While driving him to rehabilitation appointments, she sought treatment herself elsewhere, only to be misdiagnosed.
When her pain failed to improve but her son’s did, she pursued a second opinion and learned she had spondylolisthesis, a condition involving fractures in the vertebrae that never heal properly. Coincidentally, her husband, two of her children, and Vollkommer herself all share the condition. Rehabilitation became a long, patient process.
For years, she rebuilt her core strength to compensate for what her spine could no longer do. During that time, her chiropractor and physical therapist kept offering the same unexpected encouragement: she could still do gymnastics—carefully.
Finding a place willing to accept an adult gymnast wasn’t easy. Then a friend mentioned a gym in Ronkonkoma. Vollkommer sat in the parking lot, paralyzed by fear—of judgment, of injury, of reopening old wounds. She called her family, who knew how much this meant to her, and they talked her through it.
The moment she stepped onto the floor, something remarkable happened. At 49, her muscle memory returned. Skills she hadn’t practiced in decades came back naturally. Confidence followed curiosity, and curiosity reignited a fire she thought had gone out forever.
Around the same time, the 2016 Olympics were on television. Vollkommer found herself watching again, inspired by athletes such as Simone Biles and 44-year-old Uzbekistani gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, who was competing in her seventh Olympic Games. Vollkommer wasn’t chasing the Olympics, but the message was clear: age didn’t have to be a barrier.
She visited Gym Nation in Riverhead, where her children once trained. After a single private lesson, the owner told her plainly: she could compete. Twelve weeks later, after a 33-year absence from the sport she loved, Vollkommer entered her first meet. She fell during her routine and missed a qualifying score, but emotionally she felt victorious. She was back.
Unfortunately, setbacks quickly followed. Just days before her next competition, she tore her ACL and required surgery. Championship dreams were put on hold. Instead, she set a new goal: return to gymnastics by her 50th birthday—half the typical recovery timeline. She succeeded.
This time, her oldest son—now a math teacher at Center Moriches High School, where he once attended—became part of the journey, while continuing to train athletes on the side. With smarter training focused on strength and injury prevention, Vollkommer not only returned; she excelled.
In 2018, at age 50, she competed in the World Championships and won four gold medals, capturing the top spot on every event. Her competitive journey expanded across the United States and internationally, including events in Bermuda, Germany, and London.
But adversity never stopped knocking. More injuries, another ACL surgery, a serious car accident, and even a freak kitchen injury sidelined her repeatedly. Each time, the physical pain was matched by emotional strain.
Eventually, while recovering and unable to train, Vollkommer reached a breaking point. Depression set in. Then clarity followed. She realized her story wasn’t just about gymnastics—it was about resilience. That realization became the catalyst for her book, Broken to Unbreakable.
Encouraged by many to share her story, Vollkommer committed to writing an honest account of fear, setbacks, perseverance, and faith. Through the process, she turned pain into purpose.
Today, Lori Vollkommer’s story stands as a reminder that being unbreakable isn’t about avoiding hardship.
It’s about choosing to rise—again and again—with courage, support, and the belief that the best chapters of life don’t have an expiration date. You’re never too old, and it’s never too late. Check out her book on Amazon.