Chad le Clos: ‘I lost 90% of my belongings in Sea Point fire’
· The South African
In a story of vastly conflicting emotions, Chad le Clos recently claimed a record 21st Commonwealth Games medal, but on the same night he achieved this feat, his Sea Point apartment was destroyed in a fire.
The 34-year-old won his 21st Commonwealth Games medal when South Africa took bronze in the men’s 4×100 metres medley relay last week, moving past the tally of Australian Emma McKeon.
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However, he was then informed of a devastating fire that ripped through the apartment block in the Sea Point suburb of Cape Town, and led to the death of a 93-year-old man.
Chad le Clos reflects on loss and success
The famed swimmer admitted it had been a highly emotional time.
“I was doing the media scrum after ‘medal 21’, and one of the guys said he was sorry to hear about what happened back home and that my apartment building was on fire and that it was spreading like crazy,” he told KFM in an interview.
“That night was so significant to break that record… and so even though my apartment burnt down, I’m still truly grateful and blessed to have that record.”
After the Commonwealth Games, Le Clos said he had headed to Austin Texas to surprise his brother Jordan, and so he still had to pick up the pieces when he returned to Sea Point.
“My neighbour of nine years passed away in the fire, and I sleep with an eye mask and ear plugs, so if I was there who knows what would have happened. I think there were six or seven apartments burnt down, it was tragic … I’d say 90% of my stuff is all gone, the memorabilia alone is worth more than anything else… There is a lot of stuff I can’t replace…”
Swimming sensation pays tribute to neighbour
The Chad le Clos Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign to support residents affected by the fire.
“It has taken me a while to process this heartbreaking tragedy. On the evening of 30 July, amidst breaking the all-time Commonwealth record, a fire started in my apartment block, which quickly spread to my home. Sadly my home, where I’ve lived for more than a decade, burnt down and there is nothing left to salvage,” he wrote on Instagram.
“It is with a heavy heart that I extend my deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of my neighbour of many years, who tragically lost his life in this fire.
“No words can truly ease a loss like this, but I hope the family knows that the thoughts of an entire community are with them.
“To my fellow neighbours whose homes and lives have been severely affected by this fire, please know that you are not alone. This is a tight-knit community and it is in moments like these that we lean on one another.”