Jamaican Olympian Dr. Una Morris has shared her experience in early January of losing her Altadena home in the devastating California wildfires, recounting a night of near-tragedy and her unwavering resolve to rebuild her life.

A lifetime ago, the three-time Olympian settled in Altadena because it reminded her of her homeland Jamaica. "The mountains and the greenery are so similar to Jamaica," she said. However, the scenic landscape was razed during the wildfires that have destroyed properties and lives amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Dr. Morris, 78,  revealed that she initially ignored mandatory evacuation orders, a decision she attributed to her Jamaican roots and resilience. She described falling asleep despite seeing embers falling around her home. “I looked through the window and saw these embers coming down, and I said, ‘Lord, please don’t let it catch the roof.’ But I decided to lie down for a minute. Inadvertently, I fell asleep and locked the door.”

Thankfully, her son-in-law, realizing she had not evacuated, arrived at her home while it was on fire. “When he came, my house was on fire. The alarm was saying, ‘Fire, fire, fire.’ He ran into the burning house, calling, ‘Mom, get out!’ I ran out through the fire with nothing—no glasses, no phone, nothing.” Her son-in-law heroically drove her car from her garage through the flames to get her to safety, even as two other vehicles in the driveway were destroyed.

Dr. Morris, who represented Jamaica at the Olympics in 1964, 1968 and 1972, lost everything, including priceless mementos like her high school geometry set, her Kingston Technical High School uniforms, photos of her children, articles on her medal-winning performances and cherished works of art by Jamaican artists. “The hardest part about it is not the material things. Those are insignificant. The most important things—my memories—are gone,” she told Sportsmax.TV.

Despite these losses, Dr. Morris refuses to be defeated. “I try to make this a blessing rather than a chaotic thing in my life. I’m not going to be a victim. I’m not going to use this as an excuse not to pursue what I’ve been doing for years,” said the Olympian who revealed that she slept on cold concrete for two nights before eventually checking into an AirBnB.

Her strength and faith remain steadfast as she starts the rebuilding process. "I have an architect already, and we’ve started organizing dumpsters to clear the rubble. Life is about resilience. Nothing in life is forever, and what you have is your heart and faith in God,” she declared.

The fire that destroyed her home also disrupted her plans to spend six months each year in Jamaica where she had planned to give back helping in the fight against breast cancer. However, a legal battle over a condominium she purchased in Montego Bay in 2019 has stalled her plans. "The matter is in court, and I can’t return until it’s resolved. That hurts because I have so much I want to contribute to Jamaica.”

Fellow Olympians assembled recently in support of Dr Una Morris, who lost her home in the California wildfires earlier this month

She recounted the support of fellow Olympians who travelled from far to be with her after the fire.  The meeting had been planned before the fire but instead of the usual reunion, it was transformed into an occasion to provide support. They prayed, celebrated life, and shared memories.

(Olympians) Madeleine Manning was here, Chi Cheng (from Taipai) was here, Barbara Farrell was here and Pat Winslow, the pentathlete was here, Martha Watson was here, Diana Sprangler was there and you know, we just had a good time. (Two-time Olympic 100m gold medallist Wyoma Tyus was also in attendance.)

“First thing I said to them, 'Listen I'm not a victim. You're not here to patronise my loss. We're here to have fun. And some of them cried but I said, okay, okay, stop the crying now. It's such a blessing we had and we prayed and we just had a great time. Everything happens for a reason.”

Dr. Morris did, however, appeal to anyone who may have photos of her from her younger years. “If there's any Jamaican who had any picture of me, especially when I was younger or if they could send it to me, it would be so wonderful because those are the memories,” she pleaded.

“I was explaining to my children (that) I have a book for you kids from you were babies, all the way up, your baby book. All of that went up." 

Things that Dr Morris had stored in her garage that were to be shipped to Jamaica were also destroyed.

As she moves forward, Dr. Morris remains resolute. “God has a plan for me, and I know He’s not done with me yet. And let the Jamaican people know that I am blessed, I'm alive, and God will show me through all of this.”