Leah Kilner, a former jockey, has shown a lot of strength and bravery as she has gone from a near-fatal fall in a race at Grafton to living with multiple sclerosis. She spent months in a coma, had many surgeries, and was forced to retire. She rebuilt her life with purpose, gratitude, and an unbreakable spirit. She will always be known as Australian racing’s “miracle girl.”
Leah Kilner-The Miracle Jockey Who Never Quit
Leah Kilner is one of the most emotional names in Australian racing. She was once a rising star with more than 200 wins as an apprentice. After surviving a race fall that nearly killed her, she became a symbol of bravery. What came next was a journey through pain, patience, and a new sense of purpose that still inspires fans and riders all over the country.
Early Promise and a Willingness to Fight
Leah Kilner grew up in Grafton, New South Wales, with horses. Her father, Greg Kilner, was a local trainer, and her mother, Siobhan Jackson, was a horse trainer. She was involved in the sport from a young age and learnt early on how tough it was. “I grew up in the racing world.” She later said, “You had to be strong and stand your ground.” “Mum and Dad taught me that.” I’m a Taurus, which means I’m stubborn, and that helped me get through.
She started working for Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote in 2017 and quickly became one of the best young jockeys in Queensland. She won more than 200 races, with 54 wins in one season and 46 wins in 2021-22. She was back on the horse within two weeks of breaking a rib at the Doomben trials in February 2022. This shows how tough she is.
The Grafton Fall That Changed Everything
Leah’s filly Stella Turn fell down about 75 meters from the finish line during Race 3 at the Clarence River Jockey Club on July 3, 2022. She was thrown head-first to the ground and trampled by horses that followed. Her father watched from the rail as she lay still. Soon after that, Stella Turn was put to sleep.
For more than an hour, paramedics worked hard to save her as she lost and regained consciousness. Michael Beattie, the CEO, said, “Leah was unconscious but breathing on her own, and her blood pressure was normal.” As the Westpac Rescue Helicopter took off for Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, her mother flew next to it.
At 6 p.m. that evening, doctors did emergency brain surgery to relieve the pressure. Heathcote told his coworkers, “She’s a very sick young girl…” It’s a very serious situation, and we should all pray for her. Racing NSW called off the rest of the races out of respect.
Doctors soon found out how bad her injuries were: she had a severe traumatic brain injury, three broken collarbones, several broken ribs, a broken ankle, and leg injuries, as well as post-traumatic amnesia and temporary vision loss. There were no broken bones in the spine, which is amazing.
A Wave of Hope in the ICU
Leah was in an induced coma for days. Then, on Monday, July 4, she opened her eyes for a short time and squeezed her mother’s hand. Siobhan said, “The best part was when she was squeezing my hands.” “Then the tubes came out and she opened her eye. It was like a wave of emotion, like being on a rollercoaster.”
Doctors gave her more sedatives to keep her from going into shock. They planned to bring her in and out of a coma every day to check on her progress. Heathcote said, “Her mum wants me to talk into her ear to see if I can wake her up.” She was still in critical condition but stable, and messages of support came in from all over Australia.
Awakening and the Long Road Back
Leah woke up completely on July 10, more than a week later. “No, don’t give away the horses,” she said to her father. As soon as she was moved out of the ICU, she turned on the racing channel on her hospital TV. Greg said, “She went right to the races. That’s just Leah.”
She was able to eat and drink again and remembered some things that happened before the fall, but not the accident itself. Heathcote told her, “You’ll always have a place in the stable, whatever you can do,” after doctors moved her from the ICU to rehab.
Leah stayed in the hospital for two months. She woke up on August 1, 2022, which is the official birthday of all racehorses. It was like a dream. “When I woke up, I really thought I was dreaming. She said, “I was doing things to myself to try to wake up.” She whispered, “This is real, isn’t it?” as she looked at a race book later. I didn’t get into a car accident; I fell during a race!
Getting Out Alive
In late July, she shocked doctors by leaving the hospital on her own. She wrote online, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m really going to walk out of here and live!” My life changed on July 3rd… I’m just so thankful and lucky to be able to tell this crazy story.
She had a lot of injuries, like brain damage, a three-point collarbone break, broken ribs, a broken ankle, nerve weakness, and only 25% vision in her left eye. Still, she said she was lucky. She joked, “I bet if you asked the people around me in the first few days, they would have said, ‘I’m not sure…’”
READ MORE : Tragedy Strikes Twice: Leah Kilner’s Life After the Horror Race Fall
Support for Doomben Return and Racing Community
Leah went back to the Doomben races on August 6, 2022, in a wheelchair pushed by her best friend Bianca Grob. She smiled and said, “It’s so good to see all the jockeys and so good to be back at the races,” as she stood with female jockeys Angela Jones, Sam Collett, Stephanie Thornton, Wendy Peel, Maddy Wishart, and Tegan Harrison.
James Orman, a champion rider, joked, “You’re coming back to ride Billonair Baby soon, right?” Her father said with pride, “She told me there was no way she was going to miss Doomben today.”
Earlier that week, she had gone to Heathcote’s Eagle Farm stables to pet her favourite horses. It was the first time she had seen them since they were born. Bianca said, “She’s got her million-dollar smile back.”
Pat Welsh and Lizzie Jelfs hosted a sold-out Gala Night at Eagle Farm in November 2022 that raised thousands of dollars for her rehab. Leah said to the crowd, “I never thought of myself as strong or brave, but I guess I’ve come a long way since I heard the stories and saw where I am now.”
Rehabilitation, Routine, and Healing the Mind
Going back to work gave her a routine. Heathcote called her “part of the stable family,” but he also said, “She knows exactly what she can and can’t do, and we make sure she follows that.”
Leah said, “Rob and Mel have been great; they’ve made me feel like family.” Doing administrative and stable-assistant work helped her get better. She said, “It’s gotten me back out there.” “Before, I wasn’t sleeping at all, maybe from one to three. Now I’m sleeping all the way through and getting my eight hours.” That’s the best thing that’s happened to me.
But she said the mental scars were worse. “I don’t really understand what I’m going through,” she said. “I have different ways of thinking about things.” I’ve felt things I’ve never felt before, some of them deep and dark, horrible places I never want to go back to.
Her psychologist, her parents, and Bianca helped her through it and taught her to accept what she now calls her “new normal.”
She started giving race previews and insights as an ambassador for the Queensland Rogues. “It gets me to the races and gets me involved,” she said. “The Rogues have done so much for me; the least I can do is give something back.”
Gratitude and Grit at 25
Leah was going to turn 25 in May 2023, a birthday she never thought she’d see. She laughed and said, “I didn’t think I’d see 25 for a while.” “Look at me now—I’m halfway to 50!” Heathcote called her “a vital part of the team,” and Leah said that working with horses gave her purpose and peace.
The Big Goodbye-An Emotional Reunion
Leah felt like something was missing emotionally after she left the hospital. “I never cried when I left the hospital. I wondered, “What’s wrong with me? I don’t cry anymore.” That changed when she saw The Big Goodbye, her old racehorse. “I had such a close bond with that horse and had won so many races on him,” she said. “When I saw him again, I cried my eyes out.” Everyone ran over because they thought something was wrong, but it was just him.
She cried as she watched The Big Goodbye win the $200,000 Ramornie Handicap at 15-to-1 odds in July 2023. It beat Far Too Easy and Ranges. “I thought I’d be the one riding him,” she said, “but I’m here with him now, and that’s all that matters.”
The moment was even more powerful because jockey Martin Harley was there. He had broken his neck in a C0-C2 accident and had to wear a halo brace for five months before he could race again and win. It turned into a story of survival and strength that everyone could relate to.
Leah Kilner’s Last Day at Work
In April 2024, Leah’s doctors told her that another head injury could kill her and that her eyesight would never fully come back. It broke my heart to accept the truth. She said, “It hit me when they took the saddles out of the house.”
She also talked about the hard parts of being a jockey, like wearing a lot of clothes, going to saunas, taking salt baths, and not eating or drinking much for six days a week. But she was thankful when she said, “From the first winner to the last, it’s been a journey.” “Thanks for everything.”
A New Challenge-Dealing with Multiple Sclerosis
Leah said in January 2025 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a long-term neurological disorder that hurts the sheath around the brain and spinal nerves. She said, “The disorder slowly hurts the nerves, and it’s because of the fall.”
She started getting treatment every six months, but she wouldn’t let it take over her life. “I’m not going to let this MS control my life.” “I’m going to do what I want to do.” She booked trips abroad right away after her doctors said it was okay for her to travel. She was determined to keep seeing the world. She said, “I call my life these days my ‘new normal.’” “You can’t just sit in bed and cry. You have to get up and do things.”
The Legacy of Leah Kilner
Leah Kilner is one of the most respected people in Australian racing today. She went through something unimaginable and rebuilt her life with humour, humility, and heart. Her journey from a terrible fall to living with MS shows what real strength is.
As her coach once said, “She’s got that magic word—passion.” Her passion, along with her stubbornness and quick wit, turned tragedy into testimony. Leah says it best:
- “Hey, I didn’t think I’d see 25 for a while, and now I’m halfway to 50!”
And that is the story of the miracle girl who never gave up.
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