Chad le Clos picks up the pieces after fire: ‘It’s devastating’

Olympic swimmer Chad le Clos is picking up the pieces after a devastating fire burned down his apartment in Sea Point, Cape Town, earlier this month.

The gold medallist not only lost his home, but also priceless memorabilia from his decorated trophy cabinet.

Chad learned of the tragedy just minutes after making history at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

CHAD LE CLOS ON FIRE THAT RAGED HIS SEA POINT APARTMENT

Since returning to South Africa, Chad le Clos has appeared in multiple interviews about his achievements at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this month.

He’s also reflected on the fire that claimed not only his Sea Point apartment, but his irreplaceable medals, Olympic memorabilia and gear, and designer watches.

Sadly, Chad’s 93-year-old neighbour lost his life in the fire, and many families in the apartment have since been displaced. He has since launched a fundraiser to help his neighbour rebuild their lives.

The 34-year-old revealed that his three-bedroom apartment had been home away from home, particularly during his busy swimming career. 

He told IOL: “It was my safe space where I could completely switch off. I’ve kind of lost that. It’s hard for a hotel to give you that feeling.”

“It’s very inconvenient not having a home, it’s not like I can just go on holiday and chill. So that’s very, very difficult for me.”

Chad le Clos – who relocated from Durban to Cape Town a decade ago, where he now runs half a dozen Virgin Active swimming academies in the city – admitted that while finding a new home was a huge inconvenience, it was not the end of the world.

He continued: “Both my parents have had cancer. I’ve had huge defeats in my sporting career. We’ve been through a lot.

“I’d rather have no home and have my parents free of cancer than have a home and have cancer, if that makes sense. I’ve always stayed true to my character, to myself and my family values. Unless it’s death, you can rebuild. We’re warriors, brother. We’re South Africans.”

Chad admitted that friends and even strangers had offered him a place to stay in the interim.

“You don’t judge a man or woman’s character by how they celebrate victory. You judge it when their backs are against the wall,” he said.

“I think our backs are against the wall now, and I’ve seen South Africans show their support and stand up for me.”

‘WE CHOOSE TO SMILE’

Meanwhile, one of Chad le Clo’s neighbours, Shalom Perl, an Israeli-born educator living in Cape Town, also lost his home in the fire that ravaged through the apartment complex on High Level Road.

He told the South African Jewish Report: “A situation happens in your life. You can’t control it. What you can control is how you react. 

“We choose to smile.”

Kevin Strime, the son of Sam Strime, who died in the fire, told the publication that his elderly father had died while helping others escape, including his pet dog

He said: “Hundreds of people have phoned from all over the world,” he said. “They all said he was an absolute gentleman. He always put everyone else first.”