Olympic champion Gary Hall Jr reveals heartbreaking items he left behind in panicked escape from LA wildfires
Team USA hero Gary Hall Jr. has revealed he lost all ten of his Olympic medals in a heartbreaking escape from the LA bushfires this week.
An emotional Hall Jr. spoke to CNN after his home in the Pacific Palisades burned to the ground in fires that have killed 16 people so far.
As of Sunday morning, the Palisades Fire has grown to approximately 23,654 acres with 11 percent containment — while separate fires in Eaton and Kenneth currently cover 14,005 and 1,052 acres of land, respectively.
Hall was one of many LA residents who lost their homes to the fire, but it was a number of items in the mansion that left the former swimmer particularly heartbroken.
“I thought I had more time,” Hall told CNN. “I saw the fire rushing down the hill and knew I had to get out of there. I opened the back of my SUV, loaded a painting and another item.
“By the time I got back from that run, hot embers were raining from the sky. I knew at that moment that I just didn’t have much time. I saw the embers hitting the roofs of the houses around me and made the decision: it’s time to go.
Gary Hall Jr. poses for a photo with his dog while sitting in his home in the Pacific Palisades
The stunning mansion was burnt to the ground during the LA bushfires, Hall has revealed
‘The medals were in a cupboard in my bedroom, 20 meters away, and I didn’t have time to go get them. From the moment I saw the first plume of smoke at the top of the hill… I had about three minutes between then and the moment it came barreling towards me.
‘It wasn’t easy to leave that behind. I worked a lifetime to achieve that and the memories remain, but the souvenir is gone.’
Hall Jr. represented the United States at three Olympic Games – in 1996, 2000 and 2004 – winning five gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
The 50-year-old Ohio resident shared more about his experiences escaping the fires, which are still raging: “I was one of the first evacuees from the hills to reach the village.
“There was another car belonging to a person who had fled in the parking lot, surrounded by five preschools, elementary schools, kindergartens and schools that were still in use, and you could see it driving away from an idyllic, peaceful Palisades village and descending into chaos and panic.
Hall won ten medals at the Olympics, but he thinks he lost them all to the bushfires
The fires have caused devastation throughout Los Angeles, destroying thousands of homes
Hall Jr poses on the red carpet at a sports legends dinner in Manhattan in September
‘There were people shouting, cars driving on the sidewalk. Imagine the desperation of a parent trying to reach their child in time to get them out of school and to safety.
“So you have cars running through stop signs, red lights, accidents happening and people running in all directions.”
A GoFundMe has been launched to Hall Jr. to help, who initially hoped to raise $25,000 to help him pick up the pieces of his life.
Incredibly, by Sunday morning the price was already at $73,050.