“The Olympic medals were the thing that was on my mind as I crossed the threshold of my home for the last time.” Those were the words from Olympian Gary Hall Jr., who lost his entire world in the blink of an eye. The LA wildfire that destroyed the Pacific Palisades impacted many lives, and one of them was the five-time Olympic gold medalist. In what Gary calls “terrifying,” all was lost.

Gary took nothing but his dog, Puddles, and rushed out of his home. Before the LA rush began, Gary was able to reach his sister’s home in Encinitas. He was shaken watching “the whole area descend into pandemonium.” And of course, losing ten Olympic medals broke his heart just as much as losing “all worldly possessions.” However, all might not be lost just yet!

IOC makes a heartwarming gesture as Gary Hall Jr. gets all Olympic medals!

In the aftermath of the LA fire, Gary Hall Jr., amidst the barrage of allies, has found a peculiar one. The ally is none other than the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Soon after the organization realized what had happened, they reached out to Gary through the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. A move that had even Gary telling NBC that, “It’s extremely unusual for them to do that.” So, what exactly got the IOC to make such a move?

As Gary puts it, “The sentimental value of those things is much, much higher than gold.” However, he went on to add, “Having love is more important than having things.” The humility of Gary Hall aside, the loss was not small. It included iconic golds like the 50m freestyle golds from Sydney and Athens. And even had the relay Golds won in Atlanta and Sydney. IOC, after hearing about this, has come up with a solution!

The IOC will be replacing the medals lost in the fire with replicas. So why this move? Well, it is simply about one thing: solidarity. And it has come through to Gary as well! Amidst all the wreckage, he seems to have found hope. “It’s been an incredible reprieve from the sorrow I’ve endured,” said Gary Hall. However, the IOC hasn’t been the only one to step up in the time of need.

The Olympic Committee is not the only one to come forward to support Gary!

The love and solidarity did not begin with the IOC. In fact, it started right after the fire for Gary Hall Jr. As Gary himself puts it, “Friends, family, acquaintances, and even people I don’t know have reached out.” Evidently, despite losing all that belonged to him, he has not lost any love from the country he won medals for. But that’s not all!

Amy Botha (sister) and Mary Hall (mother) set up a GoFundMe for Gary. After losing his home and his business, he needed some amount of money to buy clothes, a laptop to restart his business, and some other miscellaneous necessities. They set the target at $50,000. In no time, over 480 donors came together and raised over $80,000. Gary was all gratitude and even went on to say, “I cannot thank everyone enough.” As he reels back from the loss and trauma, it’s clear that America has got his back.