LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. was recently presented with replica medals by the International Olympic Committee to replace the ten he lost during the catastrophic California wildfires in January.
Hall, a three-time Olympian, was one of thousands in the metro Los Angeles area who saw their homes destroyed by wind-driven flames that devastated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
The Palisades Fire was one of more than a dozen destructive wildfires that broke out, damaging or destroying over 18,000 structures and claiming the lives of at least 30 people.
Hall’s return to the International Olympic Committee's headquarters in Switzerland was bittersweet, with the gold medals that were damaged in the fire on display.
"I cannot thank the Olympic Movement enough for their support through this very difficult time. Their realizations through this process that outweigh the sense of loss and that is this word of solidarity and what it means: the value of friends outweighs the value of objects, and character cannot be taken away, it cannot be burned, it cannot be lost and what is inside of us, our spirit, our being, our soul – that is important. We live in a time of capitalism, consumerism and you realize when you lose everything how little of it you truly need," Hall stated.
The production of the replicas was not the first time the IOC has prepared replacement medals – the committee is known to provide them under strict circumstances, such as when they are lost in a natural disaster.
IOC President Thomas Bach said he could not recall ever replacing as many medals as Hall lost from the Summer Games in Atlanta in 1996, the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2004 Athens Games.
"We really appreciate your presence here. I cannot tell you how much we admire you, not only because of the medals, but because when we were reading your tragic story of losing your house, your possessions and all your worldly properties, this went straight to our heart. But even more so, when we learned how you overcame this tragedy in the style of a true Olympic champion, showing all the resilience, courage and confidence that you were known for as an athlete at the time, but you displayed under very different circumstances once more," Bach stated.
Following a small medal presentation, Hall signed the Olympian Wall, joining other elite athletes who have left their mark on the history of sports.
Looking ahead, Hall is full of anticipation for the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles.
Having attended the 1984 Games in the same city as a child, Hall credited that experience as a pivotal moment in his athletic journey.
"I was 10 years old when LA hosted the 1984 Olympic Games, and I was old enough to see […] what the Olympic Games was, the scale of it, the importance, the significance of the world stage in the 1984 Olympic Games. This inspired me more than any genetic inheritance or family tradition that propelled me," Hall stated.
