When senior Makayla Green described her four-year journey at Illinois, she emphasized one word: growth. Throughout her career, Green grew in learning how to define herself as more than just a gymnast. 

In the final weeks of her senior season, Green took a moment to look back on the ups and downs of her career and shared the mark she wants to leave behind.

Journey of highs, lows

During freshman year, Green learned the importance of recovery and perseverance. A tear in her right Achilles during the preseason sidelined her. She noted how going through that experience was challenging. 

“I was very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with a lot of goals and a lot of dreams,” Green said. “So freshman year, getting injured was defeating because I knew I had so much to give.”

Green still took away valuable lessons from being off the competition floor. The main difference between club and college gymnastics is the team aspect; gymnasts are no longer competing just for themselves. 

Her injury taught her that being on the sidelines doesn’t mean she can’t contribute. Learning how to be an encouraging teammate helped her grow early in her career. 

“You don’t always have to be competing out on the floor and contributing score-wise,” Green said. “You can be a great teammate on the sideline, pouring your energy into your teammates.” 

Unfortunately, the Achilles injuries continued after Green’s freshman year. During her junior season, Green retore her left Achilles, which she had previously experienced in high school. It is rare to retear an Achilles tendon after having it surgically repaired. 

Green felt more defeated than ever before after the injury occurred.

“I felt like my whole world was crumbling and falling apart,” Green said. 

With help from the people closest to her, Green learned an important lesson: She is more than a gymnast. While the injury stopped her from competing, Green realized she had much to be grateful for. 

“Even though I wasn’t sure if I was going to come back to the sport or not, I knew no matter what my next journey was going to be, it was going to be great,” Green said. 

Stepping into new role

For the 2024-25 season, the Illini named Green a captain of the team. That role meant everything to Green after her rough junior year, and the decision made Green feel the program valued her positive words.

“I feel like being captain has allowed me to really lift up the people around me and help them recognize that they’re perfect just the way they are,” Green said. 

Green acknowledges that collegiate gymnastics can be very overwhelming for newcomers. Her goal was to preach to her younger teammates that all anyone expects of them is to do their best.

Sometimes, Green’s leadership has required her to take her own advice. She found that a difficult part of leadership is allowing herself not to put up a perfect image for her teammates. 

“I’m allowed to be vulnerable, and I’m allowed to feel what I feel, too,” Green said. 

The senior has been most proud of the sense of unity between her teammates this season. The team pushes one another at every meet to work harder and achieve more. 

Green said “our grit and determination” is what she’s most proud of from her team and that “no matter what happens, (the determination) doesn’t stop.” 

Bittersweet goodbye

As Green will graduate from the University this spring, she has plenty to be proud of from her career. However, there are still goals she hopes to achieve before her departure. 

The senior aims to score a perfect 10 on the uneven bars in the last month of her collegiate career. Green believes cleaning up her skills can earn her this impressive feat. 

“I know that I’m capable of it, and if I continue to work hard and keep believing in myself, I know I can do anything,” Green said. 

While she will miss the Illinois community and her teammates turned sisters, Green is ready to take on her next challenge. The senior plans to attend graduate school to get her masters in a health-related field. 

Luckily for Illinois fans, they don’t have to say goodbye to Green yet. The Illini head to Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the Western Michigan Quad on Saturday at 3 p.m. 

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