Lori Vollkommer

About the Author

Lori Vollkommer

Lori Vollkommer is an author, entrepreneur, investor, and competitive adult gymnast whose story is rooted in resilience, reinvention, and redefining what is possible.

At 16, a devastating spinal fracture abruptly ended Lori's gymnastics career just as her dreams were becoming attainable. For years, she believed that part of her life was over forever. But in an unexpected turn, a second spinal fracture in her late 40s became the catalyst that led her back to the sport she had long been told she would never do again. That return became far more than athletic — it became a journey of healing, courage, and reclaiming identity.

Now competing in gymnastics at 59, Lori has earned more than 50 medals since returning to the sport at the age of 49 and continues to challenge long-held assumptions about aging and athleticism. Her experiences inspired her memoir, Broken to Unbreakable: The Comeback I Never Saw Coming, in which she shares a deeply personal story of loss, perseverance, and the strength that can emerge from life's hardest seasons.

In addition to her athletic pursuits, Lori co-owns a business with her husband, Bobby, and remains actively involved in their business operations and long-term investment strategy. She continues to train and compete while sharing her story through writing and speaking, encouraging others to move beyond limitation, embrace reinvention, and discover purpose within life's challenges.

Lori enjoys traveling, boating, spending time with her family, and embracing the adventures of life with Bobby and their loved ones.

Where to go from here

My whole story — the fall, the thirty-three years in between, and the comeback I never saw coming — is in the book.

Read about the book

And if you're putting together an event and think this story belongs in front of your audience, I'd love to hear from you.

Invite Lori to speak

It runs in the family

Where “never too old” began.

My mom, now 79, still does yoga and strength classes. A few years ago, she even joined me for an adult gymnastics class. And yes, she did a handstand against the wall and walked on the beam.

My dad, now 81, still hikes, trains, lifts weights, and challenges his balance daily. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at 76. They’ve always modeled what aging with strength looks like.

Lori's mother, Lynne, doing a handstand against a mat at an adult gymnastics class
Lynne doing a handstand at an adult gymnastics class.
Lori's father, George, pointing toward Mount Kilimanjaro during his climb
George climbing Mount Kilimanjaro at 76.
Read about the book Invite Lori to speak

A life in motion

The years changed. The dream did not.

  1. 9 Lori competing on the uneven bars at age nine
    The beginningCompetitive gymnastics became the center of her world.
  2. 16 Lori with her friend Adrienne and their coach at gymnastics camp before her injury
    The breakA spinal fracture ended the future she had imagined.
  3. 16–49
    The years awayCollege, marriage, motherhood, and a business filled a life that kept moving.
  4. 49 Lori concentrating on her footing while training on the balance beam
    The returnShe stepped back into a gym while fear and possibility arrived together.
  5. Now
    Still becomingMore than fifty medals later, the comeback is still in motion.