Janel McNeal prepares to go up for a shot during a recent home game at White Auditorium. McNeal suffered achilles tendon injuries to both feet and has bounched back. (Jim Gu/The Bulletin)

With a little inspiration from her fiance, Emporia State senior forward Janel McNeal was able to overcome a double achilles tendon injury to both feet, and step back out on the court to make an impact for the Hornet basketball program.

McNeal said it was Christopher Lewis, the Hornets' student assistant, whom she credits with her comeback.

"He was the one who motivated me, inspired me, challenged me and encouraged me, even when I didn't think I could go on," McNeal said. "He never let me give up my dream of playing basketball again. He is the one who helped me achieve my goals."

McNeal was an intra-conference transfer from Missouri-Rolla, where she was the team's leading scorer and rebounder. She averaged 14.0 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. She was a second-team All-MIAA selection as a sophomore and was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 1998-99.

During her junior year, McNeal suffered an Achilles tendon injury and missed the first nine games of the season for the Hornets.

"I was playing in a pick up game and when I jumped up for the offensive rebound, I heard a popping noise," McNeal said. "It felt like someone kicked me. When I tried to walk it off, it felt like my heel wasn't connected to my right foot. I was very scared at that point."

McNeal said trainers did tests and concluded she had ruptured her achilles tendon. She went through rehabilitation and returned to the game she loved.

"I came back in six months, and I think doctors estimate about 12 months for this type of injury," she said. "I was so anxious to get back, but I was still playing with a lot of pain. I guess during the time I was playing there was some more scar tissue that tore, but instead of trying to rehab that, I just kept taping it."

On Feb. 12, 2002 in a game against Southwest Baptist, McNeal injured her left achilles tendon.

"I turned to get set and heard that same popping sound again," McNeal said. I thought it was my right one since I was in so much pain at the beginning of the game. The trainers walked me off the court and did the same tests they did before. Then I found out I had ruptured my left achilles."

McNeal said she thought overcompensation with the left foot trying to carry the weight of both may have led to her injury.

"I just kept thinking that I had to come back too soon," she said. "I was crying and all kinds of thoughts were going through my mind. I felt that maybe it wasn't meant to be for me to come back and play basketball. It was so frustrating to have it not only happen to one, but on both feet."

Fortunately for McNeal, her father was at the game when her second injury occurred. He took her to see the same doctor that had performed the surgery on her first achilles injury.

"The doctor was very surprised," McNeal said. "He said it was very rare for both achilles to rupture. He was able to set me up for surgery the next day, which was a blessing since he is one of the top surgeons in the St. Louis area. He told me I had to think about my future at that point, because I had to use my achilles to walk again. My goal was to be able to walk first and if the rehab went well, then maybe I could think about basketball."

Rehabilitation began again for McNeal with the help of Leslie Kinney, head women's athletic trainer at ESU.

"Leslie told me I was her project for a whole year," McNeal said. "She said she didn't want me even thinking about basketball. Things were so hard for me, because I was at the crossroad career-wise. I knew I didn't want to be in a wheel chair or on crutches the rest of my life. I knew I wanted to be able to walk in the future with my children. So I put things in her hands, and she was my angel."

Kinney said McNeal's rehabilitation process focused on getting to know her history and making sure there was essential communication between the two.

"Our first goal was to take care of the swelling," Kinney said. "We had to take care of the pain and protect the tissues until we were sure they were healing right and there was range of motion. Once you start healing right, you can begin to build the strength back. Some of it was actually almost tricking her into doing things and her not even realizing that she was doing basketball activities. As long as we maintained that she had no pain or increases in swelling through the process, she could continue."

McNeal said throughout rehabilitation there were times when she wanted to give up.

"I remember the beginning of rehab was so hard," she said. "But Christopher was right there with me throught it all. The times I wanted to quit he told me he had a feeling God would allow me to play again and would give me the opportunity to be successful if I continued to work hard."

The women's basketball head coach Brandon Schneider said he didn't expect McNeal to come back after her two injuries.

"In the beginning, I discouraged it," he said. "I just thought there comes a point when you need to be concerned with your body later in life. Most people don't come back from one Achilles injury, and I have never heard of anybody that has come back from two.

"It was definitely something I was going to allow her to do though. The option was available, and I felt like if she was able to do anything then it would just be a bonus. But we were never really going to count on her."

McNeal stepped on the basketball court for the first time this season to compete in a scrimmage against Rockhurst.

"I was so nervous since I hadn't played in about three years," she said. "It just felt so good to be back on the team and to be healthy. We have such a great group of girls, and they are so talented and special.

"I just thank God that Brandon allowed me the opportunity to practice with the team at the end of last season and believed in me enough to let me play on the team this year."

McNeal has returned to the impact player she once was and is averaging 9.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Hornets.

"I think she is one of the most resilient persons around," Schneider said. "The energy she brings to every workout and every game is something that is very beneficial to our team."

Kinney said McNeal's return was a rare occurrence.

"She is a very unique individual that never gave up," she said. "She's as stubborn as an ox. I'm so excited for her as she is getting a chance she didn't realize she was going to have. I'm just so thrilled she is able to play."