After Losing Part Of Her Leg, She Runs Brooklyn Half With Her Daughter’s Push

This weekend’s RBC Brooklyn Half carries special meaning for Jessica Aguilar, a runner who is returning to the course after a devastating injury changed her life. After losing part of her right leg in a crash caused by a drunk driver, Aguilar has found a new source of motivation in running alongside her daughter.

Aguilar’s story connects sport, recovery, and family in a way that has made this race personal. Her goal is not only to finish the half marathon, but also to show her daughter what resilience can look like after hardship.

From high school runner to a long road back

Aguilar first started running as a sophomore in high school, and she said the sport helped shape her future by opening the door to college. That background made the loss of running even harder to accept after the crash in December 2022.

She was hit by a truck after a night out with friends and was dragged about 40 feet, according to the report. The injuries were severe enough that she lost 7% of her right leg and underwent three emergency surgeries, along with reconstruction surgery and a skin graft.

Aguilar also had to learn how to walk again. Doctors told her that running was no longer realistic because the impact from concrete would be too much for her leg to handle.

A daughter’s confidence changed everything

For years, Aguilar stepped away from running and accepted that it might be part of her past. That changed when her daughter, who also runs, saw photos of her mother competing in college and decided to encourage her to race again.

Her daughter suggested signing Aguilar up for a half marathon that would raise money for her school. Aguilar said her daughter believed she could do it, even if she did not fully understand why her mother had once stopped.

“She’s like, ‘Mom, you can do this,’” Aguilar said. “She didn’t really understand the concept that I couldn’t, so I didn’t want to show her no.”

That moment shifted Aguilar’s view of what running meant. Instead of seeing it only as something she had lost, she began to see it as a privilege and a way to keep telling her story.

Running becomes part of recovery

Aguilar said she has since taken part in New York Road Runners races, which gave her a chance to compete in a setting that felt inclusive and meaningful. She said those events let her race while also sharing what she has overcome.

“They have created a space for me to race in a way that I get to tell my story,” she said.

Her return to racing also became a personal measure of healing. The effort has not only restored confidence, but also helped her rebuild a life that once felt closed off by injury.

What this race means now

For Aguilar, the RBC Brooklyn Half is about more than one finish line. She said her main goal is to complete the race and see her daughter run, making the day a shared family milestone.

She said the experience has made her a stronger mother because it showed her daughter persistence in real time. “I’m a better mom to my daughter because of it,” Aguilar said, adding that she wants her child to see “what resilience looks like” and to keep going when something matters.

The RBC Brooklyn Half is set for this weekend, and race coverage from the course is expected Saturday morning on Eyewitness News. For Aguilar, the event stands as another step in a journey that connects recovery, motherhood, and the return to a sport she once thought she had lost.