Falling In Love With The Sport of Gymnastics
Throughout this month we will be hearing from a TLAG community member who is inspiring in more ways than just one. Her story is a true culmination of normalizing adult gymnastics and shifting gymnastics culture. Well, let’s get right down to it….
Feature Story Part 1 with Lori Vollkommer
I was 9 years old... “late” by today’s standards for beginning gymnastics. My best friend at the time lived next door and her dad was a gym teacher so they had cartwheel mats at home. We would pull them out onto the front lawn every day after school spending hours with her older sisters as “spotters” learning how to do handstands, cartwheels, bridges and back walkovers. The neighborhood kids would come by as they loved watching us flip around. By this time, another girl moved into the neighborhood and she was on the competitive gymnastics team at a local club. She was really talented and taught us some of the skills she was learning. My dad made a beam covered in old carpet and put up a metal pipe to use as a bar between two trees. With that plus the cartwheel mats, we had three events we could perform!
Then we had this wild idea… we would put on a gymnastics show in my backyard and charge admission. We began crafting routines and perfecting our skills. I loved the way performing made my feel. My backyard was flooded with an audience from the neighborhood and we put on our show. And just like that… my love of the sport of gymnastics was born.
Mr. Z’s Gymnastics is where I attended my first class. I quickly was invited to participate on their competitive team which meant three days a week of practice and I was in heaven. My best friend there was Karen and we had the same skill level and would take turns on who would win 1st or 2nd place all around at every competition. While each of us was always trying to do our best to win, we would always cheer each other on and were happy for each other no matter who had the gold medal around their neck.
I was in my element in the gym. It allowed me to be who I truly was without the bondage of all else I felt. It was where my self-esteem was built. It was where I could separate how I felt when I was getting bullied at school. I was a quiet, tiny, shy kid whose vulnerabilities were easy to spot and unfortunately many would prey on them. Gymnastics was my place to shine and it quickly became my safe place. The place I learned a strong work ethic and discipline. The place I learned that things worthwhile aren’t given, but earned. The place I learned how to get back up and move forward. The place I learned the feeling of accomplishment for sticking through the hard stuff to reach a goal and so much more.
Back in the late 70’s-early 80’s United States Gymnastics Federation, USGF, was the “USA Gymnastics” of today. There weren’t 10 levels, but rather class 4, 3, 2, 1 then the Junior Olympic program which led to Elite. I quickly worked my way to Class 2 before hitting a plateau at Mr. Z’s and not feeling challenged anymore. They were like family to me so when my friend Adrienne left to go to another gym and encouraged me to come with her, I resisted. I then saw how quickly she started progressing and decided I would make the move to Eastern Gymnastics. I knew it would provide the environment I needed to get to the next level, but I still cried when I left Mr. Z’s.
Initially it was a big change. For starters there was a boys team, which was an interesting addition for a 14 year old girl, but the bigger change was practice 4 hours, 6 days a week. I was the youngest on the team which was intimidating at first. They welcomed me with open arms though and very quickly became my second family. My coach, Kevin, was this big muscular guy who was a prior gymnast himself and struck just the right balance of enforcing discipline and consistency and understanding we all needed some fun. Some of the older girls were getting scholarships to college and competing in the Empire State Games. I remember thinking how much I wanted those opportunities too. I knew I was in the right place for just that. I excelled in my skills and made the move up to Class 1 with two goals in mind: Junior Olympics or NCAA gymnastics.
That summer at just 14 years old, I attended Woodward Gymnastics Camp, a sleepaway gymnastics camp in Pennsylvania. It was my birthday present that year and I have the best memories and made some of the greatest friends. We would meet there the next two summers and would reunite with the same coaches. I really felt they were invested in my goals and would monitor my progress and I looked forward to camp each summer.
The summer of 1983 I was just shy of my 16th birthday and in the height of my teenage years. Bobby and I had started dating and I was falling in love. The only problem was I had two loves calling on my heart and they each were pulling me in two different directions. Gymnastics was not conducive to a teenage social life and I was missing out on a lot. My gymnastics was really advancing, but I was starting to question the commitment level this demanded.
The coaches at camp saw it too. They pulled me aside to ask what was going on. After explaining my situation, one coach in particular reminded me of my talent and my very attainable goals. He said, “Boyfriends will come and go - if it is meant to be with him, he will understand and be supportive. You are at a critical point in your career. If you want to reach that next level, you have to commit 110%.”
My goal was to go as far as I possibly could. I went home from camp that summer and realized I didn’t want to live with regret. I re-committed myself to training hard, explaining how I felt to Bobby. His response was unusual for a teenage boy, “You have to go for it! I wouldn’t want you to not follow your dreams. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” He was a keeper.... and he still is. We are now married almost 31 years!
Against my coaches wishes, I also competed on my High School gymnastics team. It was a source of social connection at school at that time, but I was also overtraining and enduring a lot of wear and tear on my body. I would go from High School practice straight to club practice, increasing my training time by more than 10 hours a week in addition to the 25 hours I was already doing. We tumbled on wrestling mats at High School gymnastics, which was a much tougher tumbling environment and it definitely added to the physical breakdown.
My High School didn’t have a coach in the fall of 1983. Coach Vera Trula from the neighboring school district invited me to come workout with their team. She said I could still represent Sayville High School, but joining their practices would give me a place to train. My friend Adrienne from my club was on that team also and I made so many other friends as well. I had a great season, competing many new skills, and qualifying for the Conference Championships. But the unfortunate events of that day would alter the course of my life and quite possibly destroy my dreams….. or would they?
“And just like that, all of my hopes, dreams, and aspirations were shattered on the floor in front of me and the world went dark.”
-The Silver Lining by Serena Pergola
What a way to leave us on the edge of our seats! Drop by in 2 weeks to hear more about Lori’s story and how gymnastics has played an integral part in her life.
Until next time,
Xo- Serena