When Gary Hall Jr. saw the flames of the Palisades fire rapidly approaching, he grabbed his dog Puddle, a few family mementos, his insulin and left everything else behind – including five gold, three silver and two bronze Olympic medals that he had tucked away in a closet.

Hall earned five golds, three silvers and two bronze medals while competing for the United States in three Olympics. He is a two-time Olympic champion in the 50-meter freestyle and helped the U.S. to podium finishes in five relays over his career.