A CrossFit instructor from Utah found herself facing a harrowing ordeal after a golf cart accident in Mexico left her with severe injuries. While enjoying her vacation in Puerto Vallarta, 39-year-old Kerrie Olsen, who owns Skol CrossFit gym, suffered a traumatic brain injury when her cart plummeted into a sand trap.
Following the accident, Olsen was swiftly taken to a local hospital where her condition was assessed. She was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, a serious condition where blood accumulates between layers of brain tissue. The impact was severe, with 16mm of bleeding causing her brain to shift 7mm to the left.
In response to the life-threatening situation, Olsen underwent emergency brain surgery in an intensive care unit in Mexico. To help manage her condition, doctors placed her in a medically induced coma and connected her to a ventilator.
Last week, her sister Heidi Gustavson provided an update on her recovery journey. Olsen was medically evacuated to a hospital in the United States, a crucial step in her ongoing treatment.
During the airlift, a dedicated medical team worked diligently to stabilize her condition. Despite being on life support and under full sedation, the evacuation marked a hopeful transition in her path to recovery.
During the flight, a medical team stabilized Olsen, who was still on life support and fully sedated.
Later that day, Gustavson shared that Olsen’s tube was taken out, and she underwent multiple tests, including a CT scan and MRI.
Olsen’s skull was unable to be reattached, and her family opted not to do the surgery in Mexico because it was ‘covered in bacteria,’ according to her sister.
Kerrie Olsen, pictured above, was hospitalized last month after a freak golf cart accident in Mexico
Olsen, pictured above in the hospital, suffered a subdural hematoma, which occurs when blood builds up between layers of brain tissue. She had 16mm of bleeding, and her brain shifted 7mm to the left
Olsen and her husband Paul, pictured above, were vacationing in Puerto Vallarta with friends when the tragedy occurred
Since her skull was severely damaged, doctors made a custom-ceramic piece as a replacement.
Gustavson shared on Monday that the surgery was successful and that doctors completed it in half the time.
On Tuesday morning, she added that Olsen’s swelling had gone down and her sister was making strides toward recovery.
‘She has so many stitches in her head and still has the NG tube. She is exhausted and resting. She is making progress, but again… this will be a very long road for her. Keep praying,’ Gustavson added.
Olsen’s family has endured a rollercoaster of emotions since their Mexican getaway turned into a nightmare.
Olsen was vacationing with her husband, Paul, and a few friends when their golf cart went airborne over a hill and tipped over.
Jamie Stagg, one of Olsen’s friends who was in the golf cart, recalled the harrowing experience during an interview with local ABC affiliate, KTVX.
‘We were enjoying our time on the golf course with friends, celebrating each other, celebrating my birthday, and we were driving along the course and literally just came over the hill,’ Stagg said.
Olsen, pictured above with her family, was transported back to the US via medical evacuation. She has underwent multiple surgeries for her brain injury
Friends told local news outlets that they were on a golf cart when it went airborne over a hill and crashed into a sand trap on a golf course, pictured above
Olsen’s family and community are organizing an online fundraiser to help assist with medical bills
‘There was a sand trap, that you can’t see and next thing you know, we’re in the air, nose-first into the sand trap. That’s kind of where I lost memory,’ he continued.
‘Coming to, looking over and seeing Kerrie on the grass and not moving was nerve-wracking, but myself, I was pretty in and out, bleeding pretty bad.’
Stagg added that their vacation had turned into a tragedy ‘in a blink of an eye’ and it was difficult watching her husband Paul in ‘agony.’
Sicily Romano-Nelson, a coach at Skol CrossFit, told local Fox affiliate KSTU that the couple are pillars of the community and have three children.
‘Kerrie knows every member by name. She knows their kids. She knows what they are going through outside the gym walls, and she shows up for them in ways most gym owners never would,’ Olsen was described in an online fundraiser.
‘She celebrates their PRs harder than they do. She notices when someone goes quiet and reaches out. She has built something that runs on real love for the people in it.’
The family is fundraising to cover medical bills incurred for her care in Mexico. Their goal is $500,000. The Daily Mail has reached out to Olsen’s family for comment.
