New Delhi: In the backdrop of the Los Angeles wildfires, a mayhem has surged against the human race with nearly 2 lakh residents evacuating with hundreds of buildings and households being ablaze. As civilians have been impacted with loss of lives with the death toll reported 10 at the time of filing this story, the survivors have to deal with the excruciating loss of being homeless.
Sportspersons aren’t any exception to the endurance as many sporting events have also been hit amid the natural calamity. Legendary American swimmer Gary Hall Jr. has been among the natives suffering the wrath of the nature.
The 50-year-old, who won 10 Olympic medals in various swimming competitions for America, lost all of his medals after the wildfires in Palisades destroyed his home. All of his achievements in his storied sporting career, including medals in Olympics and World Championships have been reduced to mere Ashes.
According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald, Gary was speaking to his daughter when the fire broke out. He saw people running out to save their lives, leaving their cars behind. The former swimmer took his dog and a couple of items before the escaping the scene. He said he lost everything he owned and that included the medals. It also demolished the pool at his house where he taught kids how to swim.
“I did think about the medals. I did not have time to get them. 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?” he told Sydney Morning Herald.
Community rallies around Gary Hall Jr. with GoFundMe campaign
Gary won 10 Olympic medals, including five gold medals, across three editions in 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney), and Athens (2004). He was optimist despite bearing the brunt of the nature, and said moving on was the best for him.
“It’s not just about me. My home and my business burnt to the ground. Time to start a new chapter. I’m fortunate that in chaos I’m able to maintain calm. We were told to run for our lives,” Hall said.
According to a report by CNN, there was a GoFundMe page set for the multiple Olympic medallist to support him with financial aid. GoFundMe is a crowdfunding and fundraiser online platform to raise donations for the people in need.
The devastating Los Angeles wildfires have claimed the homes and possessions of many, including Olympic swimming legend Gary Hall Jr. Hall, a ten-time Olympic medalist, lost all his medals and belongings when his home was destroyed. Despite the immense loss, he remains optimistic, focusing on rebuilding his life. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
