Devastating Loss for Olympic Medalist Gary Hall Jr.
Gary Hall Jr., a renowned Olympic swimmer, has been forced to flee his home in Los Angeles due to the catastrophic fires ravaging the Palisades. The 10-time Olympic medalist has lost all his belongings, including his cherished trophies and medals, in the devastating blaze.
Hall Jr., who won his Olympic medals between 1996 and 2004, was able to save only a few personal items, including his dog, Puddles, his insulin, a painting of his grandfather, and another of the ‘Blessed Mary’ given to him by his daughter. The former swimmer had been living in the affected area, where he also operated his business, Sea Monkeys Swimming, teaching children how to swim.
A Desperate Situation
In an interview with a California media outlet, Hall Jr. described the harrowing experience, stating that “It was worse than any apocalypse movie you’ve ever seen and 1,000 times worse.” He witnessed a column of smoke emerging from the back of his house, with houses exploding and people abandoning their cars to flee for their lives.
People abandoned their cars and ran for their lives.
Hall Jr. further explained that “There is chaos in Los Angeles… We were surrounded by flames. Embers were falling on me when I got into the car.” He managed to grab his dog and a few personal items, but the loss is still devastating. “It’s hard. It’s a big loss… and it’s all I have.”