Two weeks ago, while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, affiliate owner Kerrie Olsen was in a serious golf cart accident that left her with a severe traumatic brain injury and life-threatening internal bleeding.
Olsen, the owner of SKOL CrossFit in Riverton, UT, was rushed to the hospital, underwent emergency surgery, and was put in the ICU on a ventilator in a medically induced coma.
On Wednesday, she was flown back home and was admitted to a local hospital.
Though the extent of her injuries isn’t yet clear, Sicily Romano, a coach at Olsen’s gym, told The Morning Chalk Up that earlier this week, Olsen started showing signs of brain activity when she heard voices she knows.
- “She has started to move her left arm, so they are hopeful of no paralysis, but until they can fully remove her from sedation, we won’t really know the extent of the damage,” Romano said.
She added, “Kerrie’s a fighter. We joke that she has Viking blood in her. I also firmly believe that CrossFit, and how strong she is, will help her recover faster.”
Because of the “enormous cost” of flying Olsen home—as well as the hospital bill from Mexico—the SKOL CrossFit community set up a GoFundMe page to help cover costs. At the time of publishing, it was approaching $80,000.
- “It has been incredible to see how SKOL and the broader community have responded. People who have not been to the gym in years are sharing the GoFundMe, and other affiliates are asking how they can help. Coaches were able to take over and rely on each other to manage everything Kerrie did. Members are showing up to keep the gym running while she is gone.” Romano said.
She added, “It is the kind of response that only happens when someone has spent years pouring into the people around them, and Kerrie has. She knows every member by name. She knows their kids. She celebrates their PRs harder than they do. SKOL is what it is because of her.”
