Chambana Sun

Heading into the fall of her junior year, Makayla Green was in top form, ready to compete and display her gymnastics skills nationally. However, a sudden injury changed everything. During a routine practice, Green tore her left Achilles, an unexpected setback that halted her gymnastics career.

"It was a shock to everyone because I didn't really have much pain there before," Green said. "For me, that was so disappointing because I felt like I was at my prime."

This was not Green's first experience with such an injury; she had previously torn her left Achilles in high school. The recovery this time was more challenging and impacted both her mental and physical health significantly.

Green flew home to the East Coast for surgery with the same doctor who treated her earlier injury. Although the initial repair went as planned, she later discovered an infection in her scar. Choosing to address it directly, she underwent another surgery and had a PICC line inserted for continuous medication.

Confined to bed rest for two months, Green relied on support from family and friends. "It was a really intense time," she recalled. "I had to focus on the positives more than the negatives."

Her parents, William and Malika Green, played crucial roles during her recovery. Support from teammates and coaches at Illinois also made a difference despite being far from campus.

"I wouldn't have gotten this far in life and gotten through that injury without my parents," Green stated.

Nearly 12 months after the injury and extensive rehab, Green was cleared to return to gymnastics by November 2024. She faced doubts about returning but found motivation through support from those around her.

"Ultimately, it was about the support from not only my parents, my coaches, and my teammates but also my doctors," she explained.

Back at Kenney Gym, filling in benchmarks marked significant progress for Green. "Filling in that little box gave me a sense of confidence," she shared.

After missing the entire 2024 season, Green returned as team captain in 2025. Her comeback meet saw her achieve a career-best score on uneven bars with 9.800.

"I knew I had it in me to compete well," said Green about earning deserved scores.

Continuing success followed as she improved scores against Nebraska and Penn State.

"I'm hungry for more," said Green regarding future goals for herself and the team.

As she nears the end of her collegiate career, Green reflects on how she wants to be remembered: "I just want to be remembered as being a really happy and positive person."

Despite challenges, Green has shown resilience on and off the mat throughout her journey at Illinois.