Just days after making Commonwealth Games historical past, Chad le Clos returned to a really totally different type of actuality. His residence on the Dorchester in Sea Point had been gutted in a hearth. And he’d misplaced a neighbour he was keen on.
The hearth tore by means of the constructing on High Level Road on 30 July, destroying a number of top-floor flats, displacing dozens of residents, and claiming the lifetime of 93-year-old neighbour Sam Strime.
Swimming star Le Clos was in Glasgow, having celebrated changing into essentially the most embellished athlete in Commonwealth Games historical past, when the blaze engulfed the residence he’d lived in for greater than a decade.
Now, Le Clos is elevating funds for his largely Jewish neighbours. He launched a fundraising marketing campaign by means of the Chad le Clos Foundation to assist these affected start rebuilding their lives. He has to this point raised R12 000.
“To my fellow neighbours whose homes and lives have been severely affected by this fire, please know that you are not alone,” Le Clos wrote on Instagram on 4 August. “This is a tight-knit group, and it’s in moments like these that we lean on each other.
“Together with my foundation, I have set up a dedicated campaign solely to assist my neighbours as they embark on a very difficult journey of rebuilding. One hundred percent of any donations raised will go solely to my neighbours, with the Chad le Clos Foundation managing the proceeds to ensure they are looked after,” he wrote.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult time for the whole Dorchester community,” Le Clos advised the SA Jewish Report. “We’d been neighbours for nearly 10 years, so we’d see one another most days. I’d so usually see Sam Strime’s daughter, Lauren, coming by means of, strolling the canine, going to the store, simply in passing. When I used to be in Cape Town, we’d see one another nearly each day, so it’s been tragic to have this occur.
“But I think the most important thing to remember in this tragedy is that a life was lost. That puts everything into perspective. The other families who lost their homes, me included, are devastated, but we didn’t lose a loved one. I’m grateful that I still have my parents and my family,” he mentioned.
“In some respects, the Commonwealth Games saved my life. If I had been in the apartment, I probably wouldn’t have heard anything. I always sleep with an eye mask, so I’m not sure I would have known what was happening. It’s just incredibly sad what happened,” he mentioned.
As quickly as he noticed the devastation the hearth had brought on, he’d wished to assist his neighbours and instantly launched his fundraiser.
“My immediate question was: who else had been affected? We decided to go and help our neighbours and the community in whatever way we could. All the donations that come through will go to the affected residents. We’re also setting up some other initiatives to try to help out. I’m just grateful and blessed that I still have my family,” he mentioned.
“Unfortunately, I lost everything [in the apartment]. There’s nothing left to salvage. I lost a lot of medals – I’m not even sure whether the Olympic medals were there – as well as my World Cup medals and all the memorabilia I’ve collected over the years. All my Olympic gold tracksuits and other sentimental things are gone. Obviously, all my training equipment was lost as well,” Le Clos mentioned.
Ryan Passmore, the chairperson of the Chad le Clos Foundation, mentioned that whereas they haven’t had time to evaluate the harm in the swimmer’s house as they have been solely just lately let in, they’re conscious that lots of the flats on the highest flooring have vital water harm.
“We’re still trying to understand where things currently stand. We know there is an investigation into the fire, and there are certain processes that need to be followed, but in the meantime, the neighbours have immediate needs and pressing concerns simply to get through day-to-day life. That’s why we felt the urgent need to step in and help,” he mentioned.
Le Clos had been dwelling in his house on the Dorchester since he purchased it in 2014.
“It’s a devastating loss, but thankfully Chad and his parents are still here. Unfortunately, others were not so lucky,” mentioned Passmore.
The basis isn’t the one charity drive for Dorchester residents. A few BackaBuddy campaigns have already raised greater than R800 000 in complete for these who misplaced all the pieces.
“Our fundraising has raised a relatively small amount compared with some of the other campaigns, but as we’ve looked into them, we’ve seen friends and fellow competitors contributing to the various neighbours’ funds. So, for us, it’s not only about the funds we can raise ourselves, but about creating awareness about the other campaigns and encouraging people to support them,” mentioned Passmore.
“Ultimately, we feel that the funds and awareness being generated across all the campaigns are helping to support the affected residents,” he mentioned.
Said Le Clos, “I lost a lot on a personal level, but again, I want to put things into perspective. I want to use this platform to help others. As much as my family and I are suffering, other people have lost so much too.”