Swimmer Gary Hall Jr. Loses House and His 10 Olympic Medals in Palisades Fires: 'Did Not Have Time to Get Them'

01/09/2025 03:44 PM

"I'll shift through the ash and see if the medals melted together. Will I be able to find anything worth saving? Probably not. I don't know," Hall Jr. said

As multiple wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles, and Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. is among thousands of residents who have lost their homes and belongings.

In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Hall Jr. shared that the home he was renting in the Pacific Palisades was destroyed in blaze that began on Tuesday, Jan. 7 along with all of his possessions, including his 10 cherished Olympic medals. 

"It was worse than any apocalypse movie you've ever seen and 1,000 times worse. It's mayhem in Los Angeles. We were surrounded by flames," he said, describing the devastating scene that has been called the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history and impacted over 30,000 residents.

Hall Jr. continued, adding "The embers were raining down on me as I jumped into my car. I had time to grab my dog and just a couple of personal items. It's just every person for themselves."

Related: Celebrities Who Have Lost Homes or Had to Evacuate in the Los Angeles Fires, and What They've Said

The 50-year-old champion swimmer has five gold, three silver and two bronze medals from his three Olympic Games appearances, in Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.

"I did think about the medals. I did not have time to get them," Hall Jr. said. "Everyone wants to know did the medals burn? Yeah, everything burnt. It's something I can live without. I guess everything is just stuff. It'll take some hard work to start over. What can you do?"

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Speaking about how he anticipates to feel once he's allowed to go back to his burned home, Hall Jr. said, "It'll be a range of emotions, particularly when it's time to go back to where the house stood. I'll shift through the ash and see if the medals melted together. Will I be able to find anything worth saving? Probably not. I don't know."

A friend set up a GoFundMe to support Hall Jr., as he is currently staying with family while he decides what's next. Over $32,000 has been raised towards the $50,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon.

Related: Cameron Mathison Says He Lost 'Everything' in L.A. Fire: 'Would've Grabbed So Much More'

According to USA Today, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said they would be contacting Hall Jr. to offer support. The organization previously said it is providing support to its athlete community impacted by the wildfires.  

During a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 9, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the death toll from the L.A. fires is currently unknown.

Related: L.A. Fires Live: Death Toll Unknown, Officials Now Say, as Blazes Continue to Burn Through the Region

"This continues to be a fluid and evolving crisis, and the numbers that we release throughout this incident are going to fluctuate," Luna said. "So anything we say is subject to change."