Swimming legend Gary Hall Jr. was forced to leave his Los Angeles home after being evacuated by the terrible fires ravaging the Palisades. The 10-time Olympic medallist has lost all his belongings, including the trophies and medals from his career, so a ‘GoFundMe’ campaign has been set up to raise money. So far $5,900 has been raised from an initial target of $10,000
Hall Jr, who won 10 Olympic medals between 1996 and 2004, quickly left his home and was only able to save his dog, Puddles, grab his insulin, a painting of his grandfather and another of the ‘Blessed Mary’ given to him by his daughter. The former swimmer was renting in the fire-ravaged area, where he taught swimming to children through his business, Sea Monkeys Swimming.
In an interview with a California media outlet, the former swimmer explained that “it was worse than any apocalypse movie you’ve ever seen and 1,000 times worse. I saw a column of smoke coming out of the back of my house, the houses were starting to burst. There were explosions. I didn’t have much time. Sunset Boulevard was completely crowded. People abandoned their cars and ran for their lives.”
People abandoned their cars and ran for their lives
Gary Hall Jr., medallista olímpico
The former swimmer explained that “there is chaos in Los Angeles… We were surrounded by flames. The embers were falling on me when I got into the car. I had time to grab my dog and a couple of personal belongings. Everyone has to do what they want. It’s tough. It’s a great loss… and it’s all I have.”