U.S. Olympian Greg Louganis Sells His Medals to Fund His Move Abroad

Olympian Greg Louganis said he parted ways with three of his Olympic medals recently because he “needed the money.”

In a post on Facebook, Louganis, 65, reflected on selling his Olympic hardware, as well as his home, to make ends meet as he relocated from the United States to Panama. “So, as life moves forward, what are you prepared to leave behind? I am 65 years old, and I am asking just that. I am no longer who I used to think I was,” Louganis began in his post.

“I have auctioned three of my medals, which sold, I believe, because I went against what the ‘experts’ told me last time when I tried the first time,” he continued. “I told the truth; I needed the money. While many people may have built businesses and sold them for a profit, I had my medals, which I am grateful for.”

The five-time Olympic medalist considered he “might not have been in that position” if he “had proper management” over the course of his diving career. “But what is done is done; live and learn,” he wrote.

Louganis, who divorced his husband Johnny Chaillot in 2021, went on to share that he is “VERY happy with” the new owner of his home. “I thanked and blessed the house to bring joy, love, peace, happiness, and a sense of safety to those who entered the house,” he said.

Embarking on his new life in Panama, Louganis said he had “various things to consider” when moving his things, like his car, over to his new home, “including import taxes to Panama, and the roads are not quite what we are accustomed to.”

Crediting his mother Frances Louganis, he recalled how she would “often” tell him, “Make everywhere you go better because you were there.”

Louganis also reflected on the victims of January’s fires in California. “I had many friends, people I was close to, lost everything in the Woolsey Fire, and then the Palasades Fire just this year,” he wrote. “I know I am choosing to do this, but their resilience is an inspiration for me to start anew, with an open heart and an open door. Opening up to possibilities.”

“I realized I often close myself off, shut myself down, and play small for the comfort of others. I don’t think I have realized or given myself credit for what I might be able to accomplish,” Louganis reflected.

“Now I get to discover who is Greg Louganis? Without the distraction and noise from outside. At least this is my goal, and hey, I may not find that,” he continued. “I think I may find it at times, in moments, my goal is to live it! Discover, allow, and nurture that human spirit through the experiences of life. To be joyful in the moments, embrace the grief, the anger, and the laughter, and embrace it all, feel it all in this experience we call our lives.”

Louganis, considered one of the greatest American divers in history, specialized in the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform events. He won gold in both disciplines at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, and silver in the 10-meter platform at the 1976 Games.