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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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A woman's hilarious gym mishap has taken Instagram by storm, amassing over 19 million views in just 24 hours.
Jalissa Helen Olsen (@olsen.fam.wyo) shared the moment she attempted a medicine ball slam—but it went spectacularly wrong. Instead of hitting the floor and bouncing back into her hands, the ball bounced back with force, smacking her in the face and sending her glasses and AirPods flying. To top it off, she landed flat on her back.
This epic fail led Olsen to realize why she'll never be anyone's emergency contact. The clip, captioned "I am the emergency," has racked up over 830,000 likes.
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Georgia Garlick, a London-based personal trainer, shared three tips on how to safely use a weighted ball.
She told Newsweek: "The first step to using a medicine ball safely is to always use a softer surface area underneath it to absorb the excessive bounce."
Garlick, the co-founder of Self Care Academy—a nutrition and personal training service—suggests placing a towel or yoga mat underneath.
"The second most valuable tip for overall safety is to start with movements that don't include a ballistic throw or plyometric action. Less explosive movements should be used for a few weeks or months before introducing throws and rotations.
"The third and final suggestion is to choose the most appropriate weight for the exercise. Movements that involve a throw or rotation need heavier resistance than traditional movements. This accounts for the velocity and elasticity of the ball when used," she added.
TikTok Reacts
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The ball didn't just take Olsen out—it bounced away and knocked over her phone, causing a further eruption of laughter online.
"The camera falling was the icing on the cake," said one user.
"I thought your EYES FELL OUT," wrote another, receiving 47,326 likes.
"I don't think I've laughed this hard since pre-Y2K. Thank you for posting this multifaceted masterpiece," praised a third.
A fourth viewer commented: "[Oh my God] I thought the headphones were your teeth for a second and I freaked out. Are you ok?!? That was rough."
"Training how to take a punch to the face!!! That's a hell of a workout," joked another.
One user even shared a similar experience: "I feel you. One time I was stretching with a resistance band...it broke and I punched myself in the face and dislocated my jaw..."
Newsweek reached out to @olsen.fam.wyo for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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Update 6/17/25, 9:23 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a different headline
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