Heading into the fall of her junior year, Makayla Green was in the best shape of her life. Full of confidence both on and off the mat, Green was eager to compete and showcase her skills on a national stage once again.
Out of nowhere, everything – her gymnastics career, her daily routine, her life – came to a sudden halt. During a seemingly normal practice, Green tore her left Achilles, sending her world crashing down in a completely unexpected way.
"It was a shock to everyone because I didn't really have much pain there before. When it happened, it was just kind of like, 'Whoa. That was kind of crazy and out of the blue and out of nowhere,'" Green said. "For me, that was so disappointing because I felt like I was at my prime. I was so ready to get out there, compete, and show what I had in me. Having that all taken away from me was just a really tough time."
This was not Green's first experience dealing with a severe injury; she had actually suffered a torn left Achilles while in high school. This time around, though, the recovery process was much more significant and took an even greater toll on her mental and physical health.
Flying home to the East Coast to undergo surgery from the same doctor, Green says everything went according to plan with the initial repair. Unfortunately, things took a turn when she learned she had an infection in her scar. Faced with the choice of taking antibiotics or attacking the issue head-on, Green ended up taking the latter option to reduce the risk of future problems down the road.
This meant undergoing another surgery to clean out the scar and wound and inserting a PICC line – a peripherally inserted central catheter – into her arm, which constantly administered medication throughout her body.
As a result of the procedure, Green was put on bed rest for two months, unable to walk, and forced to wake up every six hours to ensure everything was working properly.
Leaning on the support of her parents, teammates, and coaches, Green tried to remain optimistic despite being confined to her bed at home without any end in sight.
"It was a really intense time, just because I had never been through anything like that before. It was kind of new for everyone," Green said. "We just had to take it day by day and see how I was feeling.
"I had to focus on the positives more than the negatives because even though things were so rough at that time, I still had so many great things and a great support system. As much as it was a tough time and as much as I wish it never happened, I'm kind of glad it happened because it really helped me mature, understand the kind of person I was and want to be, and inspire other people."
With the help of her parents, Green found ways to pass the time, whether it was painting, putting together puzzles, or playing board games. She credits her parents – William and Malika Green – for their roles throughout her recovery, while the support from her teammates and coaches at Illinois made a huge difference for her despite being over 800 miles away from campus while at home in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
"I wouldn't have gotten this far in life and gotten through that injury without my parents. They really worked hard to make sure that I had everything I needed," Green said. "Focusing my energy and time on other things that brought me joy really helped me get through that hard time.
"Also, my teammates and coaches were constantly checking in on me, calling me, and telling me how strong I was. That really motivated me to not only get better, but it also helped me realize that I have so much more in me."
Nearly 12 months after suffering the initial injury and through weeks of intense rehab and recovery, Green received the news that she was fully cleared to return to gymnastics at the end of November 2024. Nearly giving up on gymnastics during the darkest of days while on bed rest, Green pushed herself to the limit, both physically and mentally, to defy the odds and return to the sport that has been a part of her life for nearly 17 years.
"I knew I was going to be able to come back from the Achilles injury, but I didn't know, mentally, if I was going to be able to go through that whole process again: of rehab, getting my skills back, and getting my confidence back. That was an up-in-the-air question for me," Green said. "I didn't know if I had it in me to return to the sport again, just because it's not only a physically taxing sport but it's also really tough mentally.
"Ultimately, it was about the support from not only my parents, my coaches, and my teammates, but also my doctors. Everyone had so much faith in me that I was able to dig deep down inside myself, and I knew that I still had that passion and love for the sport. I knew that I didn't want to leave the sport without knowing that I tried everything in my power to get back to it. Ultimately, I feel really grateful for the people that I was surrounded by because they really helped lift me up, especially when I was down. Now, I'm able to continue competing and doing the sport I love."
One of the sources of pride during her first few weeks back in Kenney Gym came from a seemingly mundane and simple task: coloring in a box. This was far from an innocent feat, though, as it marked the fact that Green had cleared a benchmark by successfully completing skills and reps in practice.
After watching her teammates color in their own boxes while unable to compete, Green was overcome with emotion while filling in the square in the company of some of her biggest supporters: her teammates and coaches.
"Watching everyone fill in their benchmarks, of course I'm so happy for them and always cheering them on, but also it left a little piece of me where it's like, 'Oh, I want to be able to fill in my benchmarks,'" Green said. "For a long time, I wasn't able to do the skills or do the same number of reps as everyone else, so being able to fill in that box meant so much to me. It just made it all feel like it was worth it. Even though it's such a small thing, in my head, it was such a big thing because I went through so much. I persevered. I had so much positivity that allowed me to achieve that moment. It really just showed me that I can do anything that I set my mind to.
"Filling in that little box gave me a sense of confidence and so much to be thankful for. During my process of coming back, it was about taking baby steps, making sure that I was confident each step of the way, fully trusting myself, and really listening to my body because so much has happened to it. I was just so unbelievably grateful to have such an amazing team and support system. This is such a special group of girls, and this is a special team. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else."
After missing the entirety of her junior campaign in 2024, Green was named a team captain for the first time as a senior in 2025 and made her return to the mat during the Fighting Illini's season opener on Jan. 12. Months of recovery, rehab, and hard work had led to this moment.
In her first meet in nearly two years, Green set a career-best 9.800 en route to winning the uneven bars title.
"I knew I had it in me to compete well, but it's just so different to actually be rewarded with the scores that you deserve," Green said. "I'm very much a person where you earn everything. You have to put in the work and earn it. Seeing how I've earned great scores and career highs is better than I've ever dreamed of. I've been through those ups and downs. I've had my own journey. I have even bigger goals, but achieving those little goals and continuing to climb just means a lot to me."
One week later, Green smashed her previous career-best score on bars by a whole one-tenth of a point, taking the event title against Nebraska with a 9.900 on the apparatus in her first collegiate meet at Huff Hall since 2023.
Against Penn State on Jan. 31, Green shattered that career-best mark once again with a 9.925, earning her third event title of the campaign.
With all of her early-season success, Green still has greater goals and expectations for herself and the team. She has been through too much to aim for anything less.
"I'm hungry for more. I want to be able to be at the top. I want our team to be at the top. It's just a really good motivator because you're earning it. I put in the hard work and everything," Green said. "Now, I'm ready to get back into the gym, continue working really hard, and keep aiming higher."
With only a couple of months left in her collegiate career, Green has begun thinking about how she wants to be remembered at Illinois. From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows while battling through such a serious injury, Green hopes she will forever be known for her strong work ethic, positive attitude, and selflessness.
Going from nearly giving up on the sport to being among the best bar specialists in the country, Green is leaving everything on the mat as she heads into the final few weeks of her gymnastics career.
"I just want to be remembered as being a really happy and positive person," Green said. "Life is so different for everyone. Everyone has their own challenges, and I love being able to bring a little light into someone's life, whether that be making a joke with them, smiling at them, or giving them a hug. I just want to be remembered as being a really positive and happy person because I feel like sometimes we lose that in the world and we really do need a lot of happiness.
"On the mat, I just want to be remembered as someone who really went for it and never gave up. No matter what the outcome was, I want to be remembered as someone who put their all into everything and did it with a smile on their face."
