Former U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olympic swimmer</a> Gary Hall Jr. said he lost all 10 of his Olympic medals after his home was destroyed in the Palisades fire as the blaze in Los Angeles continued to rage.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/09/sport/gary-hall-jr-loses-olympic-medals-in-palisades-wildfire-spt/index.html">CNN</a>, Hall said that when they were told to evacuate due to the multiple wildfires in Southern California, he thought he had more time, but found out very quickly he had to get out and save himself rather than gather the medals and other personal belongings.
“I saw the fire charging down the hill and knew that I had to get out of there,” the Olympic swimmer said. “I opened up the back of my SUV, I loaded a painting, one other object. By the time I was going back in from that run, hot embers were raining down from the sky.”
“I knew at that point that I just didn’t have much time,” he added. “I could see the embers hitting the roofs of the houses around me and made that decision: it’s time to go. The medals were in a closet in my bedroom, 70 feet away, and I didn’t have time to go get them.”
“From the time that I saw the first plume of smoke at the top of the hill … I had about three minutes between then and when it came charging toward me,” Hall continued. “It wasn’t easy to leave that behind. I worked a lifetime to achieve that, and the memories remain but the souvenir is gone.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gary Hall Jr. won 10 Olympic medals in the water. Then he lost them in the Palisades fire <a href="https://t.co/BjbYiuZWzT">https://t.co/BjbYiuZWzT</a>
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/latimes/status/1877812921280893032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Representing the U.S. at the Olympics in 1996, 2000, and 2004, Hall Jr. had not only won ten Olympic medals, including five gold, but also six world championship medals (three gold and three silver) during his career, all of which are gone now.
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Diagnosed in 1999 with Type 1 Diabetes, Hall also described to CNN some of the terrifying scenes of the day he had to get out as the fires completely engulfed the area due to the high-speed Santa Ana winds.
“I was one of the first hill evacuees to make it into the village,” Hall said. “There was one other car of a person that had fled in the parking lot, surrounded by five pre-schools, elementary schools, kindergartens and schools still in session and you could see it went from an idyllic, peaceful Palisades village, descending into mayhem and panic.”
“There were people screaming, cars driving up on the sidewalk,” he added. “Imagine the desperation of a parent trying to get to their child in time to get them from the school and to safety. So you have cars blowing through stop signs, red lights, crashes happening and people running in every direction.”
A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-gary-hall-jr-after-devastating-fire">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up to help Hall Jr.
“Gary Jr. lost his home and his livelihood in the devastating Palisades Fire on January 7th,” a statement on the site reads. “Gary saw flames out his window while he was at home before collecting his dog, Puddles, his insulin, a painting of his grandfather, and a religious wooden piece his daughter Gigi gave him and drove towards the ocean as quickly as possible.”
“He was forced to leave behind everything else he owned, such as irreplaceable family heirlooms, photos, and more,” the statement added. “He has also most likely lost his ten Olympic medals, but nothing can take away his spirit that won those medals.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anna-faris-adam-brody-mandy-moore-become-latest-celebs-to-lose-homes-in-socal-fires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Faris, Adam Brody, Mandy Moore Become Latest Celebs To Lose Homes In SoCal Fires</a>

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Former U.S. Olympic Swimmer Says He Lost All 10 Of His Olympic Medals In SoCal Fires

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Former U.S. Olympic Swimmer Says He Lost All 10 Of His Olympic Medals In SoCal Fires