L.A. fires: U.S. swimmer Gary Hall Jr. loses Olympic medals in Palisades wildfire

Former Olympian Gary Hall Jr. Loses Olympic Medals in Palisades Wildfire

Former U.S. Olympian Gary Hall Jr. is facing the devastating aftermath of the Palisades wildfire, which has caused him to lose everything, including his 10 Olympic medals and six world championship medals. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Hall described the chaos and destruction he witnessed during the wildfire.

Describing the scene, Hall said, “It was worse than any apocalypse movie you’ve ever seen and 1,000 times worse. I was on the phone with my daughter when I noticed a plume of smoke coming over the back side of my house. The flames erupted, houses were popping, and there were explosions. I didn’t have much time to react.”

As the wildfire rapidly approached his home, Hall had to make a quick decision to evacuate. He recounted, “Sunset Boulevard was a complete logjam. People were running for their lives, abandoning cars as police instructed. My girlfriend was trapped in her car amidst the smoke. It was mayhem in Los Angeles, with flames surrounding us and embers raining down as I jumped into my car with just a few personal items and my dog.”

Despite the loss of his home and belongings, including his Olympic medals, Hall remains resilient. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support him during this difficult time. The page states, “Gary Jr. lost his home and his livelihood in the devastating Palisades Fire on January 7th. He was forced to leave behind irreplaceable family heirlooms, photos, and his Olympic medals, but his spirit remains unbroken.”

Reflecting on the loss of his Olympic medals, Hall expressed, “Everyone wants to know if the medals burned. Yes, everything was lost in the fire. It’s something I can live without. It’ll take hard work to start over, but everything is just stuff. When the time comes to return to the site of my home, I’ll see if anything is salvageable from the ashes.”

Despite the devastation, Hall remains hopeful for the future. He shared, “There’s no time to take photos or videos when running for your life. It’ll be a range of emotions, but I will persevere. What can you do? I will rebuild and move forward.”