The love for the sport, the support of his family, his friends and his unbreakable spirit were more than a tragic accident that almost cost him his life.
Jessica Aguilar was 24 years old when on the night of December 30, 2021, an intoxicated driver ran over her, leaving her with very serious injuries to her right leg, and for which doctors warned her that she would never be able to run again. However, she managed to overcome adversity and after four years, six surgeries and inexhaustible resilience, she was reborn like the Phoenix from a terrible injury and will now be one of the thousands of athletes who will compete. in the Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday, May 16 and representing Coney Island.
Jessica Aguilar stood out as an unsuitable country runner. /Courtesy NYRR
From a young age Jessica was a passionate athlete, she stood out as an unsuitable country athlete, first in high school and then in college, where she won a scholarship and completed her master’s degree in Prison Justice, a profession she combined with her passion for running.
“Now I run to work, that is part of my training and when I leave I go to pick up my daughter from school, it is a distance of about 4 miles,” says Jessica, who at 28 years old is getting ready to participate in her second half marathon, an event organized by the NYRR, (Contemporary York Toll road Runner) and also dreams of participating in her first NY marathon in November.
Dragged by a truck
Thanks to her daughter Zemora McCaskill and the unconditional support of the parents of the PS One 33 school in Brooklyn and her coach Joel, Jessica managed to find the courage to run again after the serious accident that she remembers as if it were yesterday.
“I was crossing a street in Missouri after leaving a restaurant with my friends and a truck driven by a boy appeared, hit me and then dragged me. I managed to get out by my own elbows,” recalls the runner who was told by doctors that she would never practice athletics again.
“On January 6, 2022, the doctors told me that they had to operate on my right leg because it was dying and they removed skin from my left leg to be able to reconstruct the damaged part. I was in the sanatorium for a month, I had to learn to walk again with a walker, there were many nurses who helped me in my rehabilitation even at home,” he adds.
Return to New York
After achieving her recovery, Jessica decided to return to New York and turn the bitter page without imagining that her little daughter would be the one who would motivate her to return to the sport she loves.
“Thanks to the insistence of my daughter Zemora, who saw a charity race at her school, I was encouraged to return. Thanks also to the support of the school’s parents and my coach, I received a training idea to start running,” says the New York athlete.
“Thanks to the insistence of my daughter Zemora who saw a charity race at her school, I was encouraged to return. Thanks also to the support of the school parents and my coach, I received a training idea to start running”
“When I started training, after 10 minutes of walking I fell, first in the streets of Brooklyn and then in Prospect Park. Abilities were very difficult but my daughter didn’t let me give up. I thought I couldn’t go back, I attended a parents’ meeting and they motivated me, at first I always hid my leg.”
As a result of the operations and reconstruction of the tissues and muscle mass, Jessica has permanent scars on her right limb, which was her greatest support when competing. However, he gathered courage and courage to later show his injuries in each test he participated in and has even gotten several tattoos.
“The doctor told me that there was a lot of weight I was putting on my leg when running specifically and despite the falls I got up and continued training,” says the New York runner, who now proudly shows her scars on which she has several tattoos.
“I had the word ‘Runner’ tattooed on my knee, a flower on my shoulder, and a phrase from Steve Prefountain, an Olympic athlete: “to present the rest now not as a lot as your easiest is to sacrifice the reward,” Jessica mentions.
Jessica Aguilar accompanied by her daughter Zemora, who encouraged her to return to racing. /Courtesy
The most important gift for Jessica will undoubtedly be this Sunday’s test, her second half marathon, where she will participate alongside her daughter who, for her part, will compete in the Children’s Boardwalk Race, also organized by the NYRR.
“Now I no longer feel afraid to show my leg, when I returned I had no confidence in myself but others believed in me, there was a very large community that helped me and now I am filled with pride by showing my scars,” says an excited Aguilar, who has become an example for young runners and is also very grateful for the support received from NYRR.
When he started training he mentions that he did 15 minutes per mile and now he has dropped to five. She is very optimistic and full of joy for her next career as she has the support of her mother. “My family is coming to see me, my mom is coming from Las Vegas,” says the athlete who debuted at age 12 in her first race at her school.
“I did 23 minutes in a 5K and now I do the test in 29 minutes,” he remembers. For his preparation routine for the half marathon, he runs between 20 and 40 miles a week and uses the Coney Island beach, as well as Prospect Park.
“I am always very grateful to have an organization like the NYRR to bear witness to my story and every time they see my scars they ask me what happened to me,” says Jessica Aguilar.
In addition to the half marathon, more than 1,000 kids ages 2 to 18 will participate in free races and sprints as part of the Kids’ Boardwalk Race, one of more than 20 free Rising Contemporary York Toll road Runners youth events the nonprofit hosts throughout the year.
In detail:
That: Half Marathon in Brooklyn organized by NYRR
When: Saturday May 16
Hour: Starting at 7 AM
Where: From Prospect Park to the Coney Island boardwalk
Impact on the community
The RBC Brooklyn Half is Contemporary York Toll Road Runners’ flagship Brooklyn event and the highlight of the nonprofit’s annual presence in the borough, which includes six annual races held in Brooklyn, plus free and accessible programs for New Yorkers of all ages.
This article was originally published on LatidoBeata coalition of leading local Spanish-language news organizations, united to spread the rich diversity of Latino voices across the United States. It currently includes La Opinión (Los Angeles), El Diario (Contemporary York), La Raza (Chicago), La Prensa de Houston, La Prensa de Orlando, El Comercio de Colorado and La Noticia (Charlotte).