kjacobsen@observer-reporter.com
At age 12, Kaylyn Millick displayed incredible skill on the gymnastics floor. Her future in the sport shone brightly.
About the only thing that could derail her was injuries.
Well, maybe not even those.
Millick, now a senior at Trinity High School, had four surgeries on the same foot in the last three years. Yet, not only did she remain optimistic and determined, her skills haven't diminished.
At least not in the eyes of the coaching staff at NCAA Division I Eastern Michigan University, which offered Millick a full gymnastics scholarship. She gave an oral commitment in September.
"I've been told, since I was little, that I can do something big," said Millick, who also drew interest from Auburn and Central Michigan. "But after the surgeries, I thought there was no hope at all."
Millick's troubles began in 2006 when she suffered a stress fracture in her left foot. She's not sure exactly how it happened, but it was a problem that took time to go away.
Initially, she wore a walking boot for six weeks. While that relieved some of the pain, the injury didn't heal and Millick underwent surgery in May. X-rays taken in August revealed the fracture still hadn't healed, and a second surgery took place in September.
Millick, who trains at the Meadow Lands Gymnastics Training Center, resumed competition but it was short-lived. Her foot began hurting again in April 2007. Doctors advised her to see a specialist in Cleveland but he couldn't tend to her until July.
That led to a third surgery in August.
"After the first surgery, I didn't mind. I hadn't really been hurt before," Millick said. "But then it started to get frustrating."
Just when the stress fracture ceased being an issue, a new one cropped up. After returning to workouts in June of this year, Millick ruptured the tendon in her left big toe, requiring yet another surgery in July.
Millick couldn't even take solace being around the gym and her teammates. In fact, that made things worse.
"I'd come in and be so depressed. It was hard for me to watch them," said Millick. "Just when I got over the others ... I definitely felt like giving up at times. But it made me realize how much I loved this sport and how much I want to do it and succeed in it."
The coaching staff at Eastern Michigan wasn't scared off, unlike some other schools. They maintained contact with Millick and, even after asking to see her injury report, offered the scholarship in August.
"They kept up with me even though I was hurt. They said, 'If you can come back, you'll be fine,'" Millick said. "I wasn't expecting it at all."
Millick's scholarship is deserved. Twice - in 2003 and 2005 - she qualified for the Level 10 Junior Olympics national championships. She was also an alternate one other year.
While she did not place at nationals, Millick - one of the youngest gymnasts at the competition - performed well against older girls who had considerably more training.
Millick's torn tendon took less time to recover from than the other surgeries, though she's not yet at full strength. She is making progress and hopes to return to competition in January. Her goal is to make another appearance at the national competition.
"One week off can devastate some kids' timing," said her coach, Scott Miller. "I've seen this kid have six months off, and within a week I have her back to what she was before the six months. She's been phenomenal like that. I don't think (Eastern Michigan) is taking much of a gamble. I think they got a really good prospect."