Above: United States Navy Lt. Commander Donna Vorpagel-Gunther
By Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz
Donna Vorpagel-Gunther’s journey from a young figure skater in Merrill, Wisconsin, to a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy is nothing short of remarkable. Her story involves passion, perseverance and the unbreakable bond between an athlete and her sport.
“The figure skating fire was lit for me around age 7 in North Central Wisconsin when I saw Kristi Yamaguchi win the gold medal at the Albertville Olympics in 1992,” Vorpagel-Gunther said. “Shortly after, I took lessons; the rest is just history.”
At 11, Vorpagel-Gunther began private lessons with coach Laurie Johnson-Krueger at Merrill Ice Reflections and the Timberline Figure Skating Club. Johnson-Krueger became her lifelong friend, coach and motivator.
“She was even my maid of honor,” Vorpagel-Gunther said. “I know firsthand that coaches are important and can make a difference in your life. From 1996 to joining the Navy in 2005, Laurie was there for me every step of the way.”
Johnson-Krueger helped her set figure skating records in their area, including achieving all the moves in the field tests in two and a half years and becoming the first triple gold medalist in the broad central Wisconsin area.
The coach-student relationship remained unchanged when Vorpagel-Gunther began her naval career in 2005.
“After enlisting in the Navy, Laurie remained by my side with increasing support and leadership. I continued to seek her assurance and guidance on music options, proposed programs and every adult event and competition,” Vorpagel-Gunther said.
While serving in the Navy, deployments often took Vorpagel-Gunther to distant places.
“I was so far from my skates and the ice and so focused on my military duties that skating seemed impossible," she said. "However, there was always that little voice in the back of my head, even in times of despair, and it included words of wisdom from Laurie. Her words always strengthened and centered me and often guided me back to my true passion, the ice.”
Between deployments and changing duty stations, she often found an upcoming event such as local competitions across the country, the Wisconsin and Virginia State Games and even adult sectionals in Illinois before the pandemic.
The determined skater and naval officer often rehearsed programs in her head without ice time and performed an interpretive program by laying out the elements and movements at the moment.
He storied naval career included being stationed on the USS Enterprise in Norfolk, Virginia, and earning her bachelor and master degrees. She is currently a lieutenant commander and serves as the administrative and personnel officer at Naval Special Warfare Group ELEVEN in San Diego.
“The military life can be full of challenges, but it is also filled with purpose, adventure, far-reaching missions, benefits and endless opportunities to train, learn and grow every day,” Vorpagel-Gunther said.
She also met her husband while stationed on the USS Enterprise, and together, they’ve raised two boys, 13 and 10.
Her three favorite cheerleaders have always been by her side as she pursued her skating goals. She most recently discovered adult synchronized skating in 2023 as a member of Team Del Sol.
“To this day, I don’t know how I came across Team Del Sol on Instagram,” Vorpagel-Gunther said. “I’m a bit of a stranger to social media, but I’m so blessed that I did. Our synchro team is full of amazing young women from all different professions and backgrounds, and as the oldest teammate and only mother, I love demonstrating that it’s possible, although quite hectic, to balance a professional career and an active family lifestyle while still pursuing personal goals and a childhood passion.”
Another milestone will occur this summer when Vorpagel-Gunther and her husband officially retire from naval service. Their family plans to move back to the Midwest to be closer to family in Wisconsin, and she looks forward to uncovering another chapter of figure skating in her life that’s yet to be written.
“In my next phase in life, I look forward to skating more and inspiring others to skate,” Vorpagel-Gunter said. “I’d like to show others that it’s never too late to work toward your goals, open a new door and try something different. The fabrics of life are interwoven, and it’s amazing to look back on all the twists and turns that life inevitably gives us and see where they lead.”
