Utah CrossFit community rallies after owner suffers traumatic brain injury in Mexico

The SKOL CrossFit community in Riverton is rallying around owner Kerrie Olsen after a golf-cart crash in Puerto Vallarta left the 39-year-old in critical condition with a traumatic brain injury and a medically induced coma.

Olsen was vacationing in Mexico with her husband, Paul, and friends when the six-seater cart went airborne, hit a sand trap nose-first and flipped, according to family members and friends. Annie Stagg, who was riding with Olsen, her husband Jamie and Olsen, suffered four fractured ribs, a punctured lung and an ankle injury. Jamie Stagg was left with a severe head cut and heavy bleeding. The crash turned what had been a celebratory day into a medical emergency in seconds.

Olsen underwent emergency brain surgery that the family says saved her life. The fundraiser organized for her said she had a subdural hematoma with as much as 16 millimeters of bleeding and a 7-millimeter shift of the brain. She remained on a ventilator in an intensive care unit near Puerto Vallarta as of May 5, and the family said her condition is fragile enough that she cannot simply be flown home.

The next step is costly and complicated: an air ambulance with a full medical team to bring her back to Utah. The family says the hospital in Mexico requires upfront cash payment, and the expenses are already running into tens of thousands of dollars per day. Beyond the flight, Olsen will still need hospitalization, rehabilitation and follow-up care once she returns.

The response from the Utah CrossFit scene has been immediate. Gym members, coaches and friends are organizing support and fundraising as they wait for a safe transport plan. At SKOL CrossFit, where Olsen is listed as owner and trainer and Paul Olsen is also listed as an owner, the accident has hit the daily life of the box hard. The affiliate is based at 3305 W 12600 S in Riverton, and Olsen’s role there extends well beyond ownership. Her site lists her certifications in CFL1, CFL2, gymnastics, CPR, AED and first aid, underscoring how central she is to the gym’s coaching culture.

For a community built around showing up for hard work together, the crisis now centers on one of its own. The push to raise money and secure medical transport has become a race against time, with every hour shaping whether Olsen can be brought home safely.