As Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. evacuated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 7, he only had time to grab the insulin needed for his Type 1 diabetes, a painting of his grandfather, a religious wooden piece from his daughter and his dog, a pug-chihuahua mix named Puddles. The 10 medals he won in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Games were left behind in the haste of fleeing the rapidly approaching flames.
“The damage is more than just a dollar amount. The memories of what those Olympic medals represent … I can never get those back. I can never get any of the things back. This all happened so fast. I would say within three minutes. Three minutes is what I had to collect things and get out,” Hall said in an interview on CBS News’ “The Daily Report” on Jan. 9.
But news of Hall’s loss reached the International Olympic Committee, which said Sunday it will provide him with replica medals.
“We are in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and the security forces,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. “Currently the full focus must be on the fight against the fires and the protection of the people and property. We have also learned that a great Olympian, Gary Hall Jr., has lost his medals in the fire. The IOC will provide him with replicas.”
Hall earned five golds, three silvers and two bronze medals while competing for the United States in three Olympics. He is a two-time Olympic champion in the 50-meter freestyle and helped the U.S. to podium finishes in five relays over his career.
Hall’s sister, Amy, organized a GoFundMe to raise money “to buy clothes and necessities as well as business start up expenses.” As of 10:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, over 450 donors contributed $77,660 to the fundraiser.
“As much as I am overwhelmed by the loss of all worldly possessions, home and business, I am overwhelmed by the love and support of so many reaching out through this difficult time,” Hall said via an update shared by his sister. “My heart goes out to the countless victims of the fire. Through my learn to swim business, Sea Monkeys Swimming, I know and love so many families in this devastated community. There are no words to express how broken my heart is for them. This gets me more than any personal loss.”
A video update posted to the GoFundMe on Saturday showed the aftermath of the fire, and Hall said in the caption that the National Guard was keeping residents out of the area.
“I’ll head over with a shovel when they open it up and go digging for gold, like the California prospectors from a couple centuries back,” he said.
(Photo of Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall Jr. (right): Greg Wood / AFP via Getty Images)
