In April 2007, sophomore Brittany Vontz thought she might never participate in competitive gymnastics again. After signing with the Wolfpack her senior year of high school, Vontz blew out her Achilles tendon resulting in surgery two days later.

“At the time I thought I was going to quit,” Vontz said. “But that was a spur of the moment just happened thing. It hurt really bad and freaked me out and I didn’t think I would be able to get back to the level I used to be at.”

After the surgery, Vontz had to wear a boot that kept her lower leg completely immobilized for six months. With the exception of slight work on bars, this kept her out of gymnastics until October when the boot was finally removed.

“Everybody was really encouraging when I started coming back to gymnastics. I actually started here — I did a little bit of bars with my boot still on back home but just basic stuff,” Vontz said. “I pretty much got everything back while I was here.”

According to coach Mark Stevenson, the doctor sets the recovery time, which is part of the reason that Vontz’s recovery has been such a long process.

“It really depends on the kid and how the doctors approach it. Any given doctor can dictate the speed of what happens,” Stevenson said. “The way [the doctors] approached [her injury] was at a very slow pace so she didn’t get to the point where she could go aggressively until a year and a couple months after the injury.”

Vontz’s progression to returning to her pre-injury form has really been hindered by the conservative approach taken by her Nebraska-based doctors. According to Vontz, the length of time she was in the boot kept her from gaining full mobility back in a timely manner.

“They kept me in a boot and on crutches a little bit longer then I should have been,” Vontz said. “So, my Achilles was really immobile when I got out of the boot so it took me a little bit longer to come back than it should have but I am finally getting there. I pretty much have all my flexibility back now. “

The physical damage is not the only part of the injury that Vontz has to overcome to return to the level of skill that she was at before the injury. According to Vontz, the mental issues play a big role in her return to her pre-injury form.

“That is part of the reason I’m not back on vault yet because that is the skill I am most terrified of,” Vontz said. “But, my strength in my Achilles is definitely getting there and so is the flexibility. It’s just starting to come along around the end of the season.”