LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2023) – Brooklyn Harrison, 7, and her father, Jasen, only dreamed of running a 5K after a horrific head-on car accident nearly left little Brooklyn unable to walk. But at The Most Magical Place on Earth on Friday, Brooklyn and Jasen, who are from suburban Orlando, ran the Disney Princess 5K together. And Brooklyn even got to meet her favorite Disney princess – Cinderella.

As a result of the near fatal car accident last June, Brooklyn was knocked unconscious and spent six days in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and other challenges, including double vision. Due to her spinal injury, doctors said she may never walk again.

Jasen spent seven days in the hospital with a collapsed lung, broken wrist and multiple lacerations. Doctors said his lung may never completely heal which would make running a challenge. Jasen’s girlfriend was also in the car and suffered injuries.

The father-daughter duo went to physical therapy and went on light jogs during the recovery process. And eight months later, Brooklyn ran the 5K during the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World Resort with her dad, who has also recovered from most of his injuries.

And while they both still deal with lingering issues from the accident, Jasen said he is grateful for life and the ability to continue to run with his daughter. This is Brooklyn’s third 5K; Jason ran The Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon) during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January.

The Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, which focuses on women’s empowerment, continues Saturday with the 10K and then the half marathon on Sunday. There’s also the Disney Fairy Tale Challenge (10K and half-marathon) and a virtual component to each race.

The race weekend is the third of four on-site race weekends during the 2022-23 runDisney season. Next is the runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend (April 13-16). These races, which include runners of all fitness levels, provide the opportunity to run through Disney theme parks, experience world-class entertainment and earn unique Disney medals.