“It’s not just a home, it’s all worldly possessions, I really am that guy with nothing to lose,” were the unfortunate words from a five-time Olympic Gold medal-winning swimmer after the LA Palisades fire. On the fateful night of January 7th, one of the worst wildfires Los Angeles has seen struck the city. And in its wake, it has taken prized possessions from Gary Hall Jr.

The unfortunate inferno has taken away his rented home, livelihood, and nearly all his belongings, including the ten hard-earned Olympic medals. Amidst the fire, all Gary could take was his dog Puddles, his insulin, a painting of his grandfather, and a wooden religious piece gifted by his daughter Gigi. Like many others affected by the fire, he fled towards the ocean. “Hot embers were raining down on me as I jumped into the car,” said Gary. “It was just pandemonium.”

A devastated Gary Hall Jr.’s plea for help after living through an “apocalypse movie”

After escaping the embers raining down, Gary Hall Jr. managed to reach San Diego where his sister lives. And has subsequently taken shelter there. “It grew quickly, then flames, and you could see the houses going up one by one as it moved down the hill. People were just abandoning cars and running. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen—even in an apocalypse movie,” said Gary after getting to safety. While the fire itself was devastating, there was something that shattered him completely.

Although Gary Hall Jr. was able to escape the grim situation with his life and his beloved pet, now, he unfortunately has nothing to return to. Gary most likely lost his prized collection of swimming Olympic medals earned across the Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004 Olympics.

The collection included five golds, three silvers, and two bronzes, and Gary is likely to have lost it forever. As Gary himself puts it, “I did not have time to grab anything. Everything is gone.” The devastation, however, doesn’t end there.

As Gary processes the massive trauma and loss, he is pleading the country he won all the medals for, to help him. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help him buy necessities like clothes and a computer to restart his business. The house that burned to ashes had a pool where Gary gave children swim lessons through his craft, Sea Monkeys Swimming.

One that remains gone. “It’ll be tough going back to the site, going through the ashes,” he said. “But I have no expectations of finding anything left.”  As of 10th January, the nation has around and helped Gary reach his funding goal. Supporters reached and even exceeded the $50,000 target. And it has left Gary emotional to say the least!

As the goal was met, Gary put out a message for those who came forward in the time of need. “I am overwhelmed by the love and support of so many reaching out through this difficult time,” he said. However that’s not all. This was followed an barrage of emotions, as Gary went on to write, “With community support, I’ll acquire a laptop and find a suitable teaching pool…..It’ll have to be somewhere else. All that remains of Pacific Palisades is ash.” While Americans are coming together to support and help Gary, all’s not lost for the Olympic legend.

Perhaps, not all is lost for Gary!

While the loss of the medals that Gary Hall Jr. earned with his blood, sweat, and tears seems certain, there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. Some positive news amidst all the destruction. Gilt silver, the metal used to make Olympic medals, has a melting point of 960.8 degrees Celsius.

Wildfires can range, anywhere, between 298 degrees Celsius to 1204 degrees Celsius. So maybe amidst the ashes, the medals might have survived. Additionally, if history is testimony, there definitely is more hope!

Surprisingly, Gary is not the first Olympian to have lost his medals to fire. In fact, it mirrors the experiences of two other Olympians who faced unfortunate fires.

A few years back, Russian gymnast Daria Shkurikhina’s gold medal survived a devastating apartment fire. While this was true for Daria, another Olympian who lost her medals in the fire found hope, regardless.

Much like Gary and Daria, Canadian diver Meaghan Benfeito lost her medals in a fire. But, understanding the gravity of the situation and the heartbreak, the Canadian Olympic Committee replaced the medals for Meaghan. If Gary loses his medals, he might pursue a similar remedy.

For now, though, the focus remains on processing the trauma and recovering. While medals might mean everything to an athlete, nothing can replace the value of life.