Utah gymnast in search of 10.0s after recovering from torn Achilles tendon

Watching Jillian Hoffman drop straight down on her vault landing and stick it is an impressive sight. Of course, that she is doing any sort of gymnastics landing at all is impressive, given what she has gone through.

Hoffman, a senior for Utah’s gymnastics team, has competed on the vault in every meet for the Utes this year, a remarkable participation note for the Utes considering she tore her Achilles tendon less than a year ago.

That injury came after she missed her sophomore season following shoulder surgery, which came after surgery on her toe.

Suffice it to say, it has been a long road for the Murrieta, Calif., product.

The reward for her efforts to persevere through all the hours of rehab has been a spot in the vault lineup. Hoffman has been working on a 10.0 value vault and has thrown it to near perfection. She has earned a 9.95 and a 9.975 in the last two meets as the anchor.

Initially, she was put in that position so she and the coaches would know how safe to play it with her vault; now she is making a case to hold onto the spot.

Utah coach Tom Farden never likes to reveal his coaching strategies, just to keep opponents guessing, but clearly he has been thrilled with Hoffman’s efforts.

“When we recruited her she was arguably one of the quickest, most talented athletes I’d seen,” he said, mentioning former Olympian MyKayla Skinner as a comparison. “She has such dynamic gymnastics and that is a rarity. It’s a goal in recruiting to find athletes who would pop off the page and she soared off the page.”

That Hoffman had to overcome a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery was one thing, but losing her last year a few weeks into the season was gut-wrenching for both Hoffman and the Utes.

Hoffman had made herself a valuable leadoff gymnast on the vault and floor, but her season came to a harsh end when she tore her Achilles during floor warmups at a February meet at Cal.

“As soon as I punched off the floor I felt it go,” she remembered. “I was more upset that I was injured again than from the pain itself.”

Recovering from Achilles’ tendon ruptures is a long process, requiring up to six months of healing and repairs after surgery to return to normal activity. To return to competitive gymnastics takes even longer, but Hoffman went about the task by breaking down the process.

“I made small goals like being able to learn how to walk again, then run, then punching off the floor,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t want to end my gym career on tearing an Achilles. I knew I had more to give.”

Her goal-setting and determination clearly worked as she has not only recovered in time to contribute this year, but is doing so in impressive fashion. Hoffman gives the Utes a 10.0 value vault and is ready to go on the floor as well.

“We knew the timing of her recovery would be tricky,” Farden said. “But she is an athlete who has persevered and overcome so much.”

Hoffman has replaced her goals of getting back into competition with team goals.

“I never thought I’d be able to compete my one-and-a-half,” she said of her vault. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity, so I’m trying to not set limits and just focus week by week and see what happens.”