A Florida Gators commit and 2017 world all-around champion, Morgan Hurd, was staring into the abyss, already looking like a seasoned Olympian. But COVID-19 struck, and the pandemic would derail her Olympic hopes by a year. It was 2020, at one of her training sessions, and it didn’t take more than a fraction of a second to lead Morgan to her undoing. While working on her floor routine, Morgan “did a two-and-a-half punch front and my knee turned in when I did the front tuck. My knee was really swollen and I couldn’t straight it for like a week. But, then, they told me it was just a sprain. I was like, ‘Okay, that’s fine.’” Only, it wasn’t fine.

Morgan was pretty sure she tore her ACL back then, but she continued training. Amid multiple injuries, including several to her elbow, she fought through every routine leading up to Tokyo. But the decision was already made: USA Gymnastics left the 5-time World medalist off the 2021 Olympic Trials roster. Five months on, while landing a side aerial, the same knee turned in again. “I said to [my coach] Brooke [Parker], ‘I can’t tell if I’m being dramatic, but I think my knee popped.’” When the doctors confirmed she had a torn ACL, “[The doctor said,] ‘Yeah, tore your ACL but you tore it a while ago because all your fibers are gone,’” Hurd said of the diagnosis. Unfortunately, she never fully made it back to the mat again.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old USA Gymnastics Hall of Famer posted a gut-punching update this week.

She was seen lying on a hospital bed, fresh out of surgery. Wrapped up in her hospital gown, medical wires, and a bandaged hand from an IV, outshone her bright blue and orange graduation stole proudly draped across her. She kept the mood light, captioning it, “Okay, but do you have a grad pic at your tenth surgery? didn’t think so.” USA Gymnastics also dropped a post, stating,

“Wishing a very speedy recovery to World Champion and Florida Gator Morgan Hurd, who is recovering from surgery # 10. Get well soon!”

Funny, fierce, and heartbreakingly real — all at once. Fans flooded the comments section with messages of love and prayers for a fast recovery.

Fans flood gymnastics star with love after heartfelt hospital post

Gymnastics fans didn’t hold back their love for Morgan Hurd after her emotional post. One fan wrote, “Get well soon 🙏,” while another added, “You look so cute right here like a baby 😍😍😍 Get well soon.” Another couldn’t believe what she’s been through, commenting, “10 surgeries??? She’s built different but like, plz no more 😫💔,” and someone else chimed in, “Hope this is the last one 🫶💖.“

Even though she looked absolutely adorable in her hospital pic, the reality behind it hit hard — this wasn’t just one bad day. This was years of surgeries, setbacks, and battles she faced while chasing her dreams at Florida. When Morgan first arrived at the University of Florida as a freshman in 2022, she wasn’t even able to compete. She had surgery on January 10 to repair a torn ACL before her college career officially started, sidelining her for the entire season.

But true to her fighting spirit, she made her comeback in 2023, stepping into the spotlight like she never left. Morgan anchored the uneven bars and led off on the balance beam during the season opener, and when her team needed her most, she even jumped into the floor exercise lineup against Auburn, scoring a solid 9.825, despite an out-of-bounds deduction.

Oh, and let’s not forget, she earned SEC Academic Honor Roll honors too, because Morgan doesn’t just win on the mat — she wins in the classroom, too. Fans kept the love coming for Morgan Hurd, who’s been through more than most her age. One fan shared, “We’re all cheering for your recovery!” while another added, “Your health matters most.💖 Sending all the healing vibes your way.”

And honestly, they couldn’t have said it better — health really is wealth. Before even stepping onto Florida’s campus, Hurd was already a gymnastics legend. She was a five-year member of the U.S. Senior National Team, grabbing all-around gold at the 2017 World Championships during her debut year.  Simply put, Morgan’s been that girl. Her career-best 9.95 floor routine at Kentucky helped seal the deal for the 2024 SEC regular-season crown, proving once again she’s built differently.

Now, even with injuries forcing her to shift gears, Morgan’s still deeply woven into the Gators’ fabric. Even in the 2025 season, she took a creative role, serving as the team’s photographer and content creator, still showing up, still making an impact. Through every twist, turn, surgery, and triumph, Morgan Hurd’s story keeps reminding every gymnastics fan that real champions don’t just win medals — they inspire people along the way.