Former French Olympic determine skater Surya Bonaly had her medals stolen from her Las Vegas dwelling by a pair of thieves over 4 days whereas she was caring for her cancer-stricken mom.
Bonaly, 51, is asking the general public — and pawn retailers — close to and round Sin Metropolis to be looking out for the medals she received over her illustrious profession, the French-born determine skating icon posted on Instagram Saturday.
“You see all these medals that I received prior to now whereas competing in numerous worlds and European championships are sadly gone. A number of days in the past somebody, I imply a pair burglarized my dwelling and stole all my worthwhile,” Bonaly mentioned.
“Little reminder to Vegas residents or Pawn Outlets, if you happen to ever see some international gold and silver medals for gross sales, Please Please name the Police instantly.”
Safety digital camera footage from Bonaly’s dwelling — positioned about 7 miles west of the Las Vegas strip — captured what she described as a well-organized housebreaking.
The footage obtained by Fox 5 Vegas confirmed completely different people arriving every day, shattering home windows, tearing down cameras, and chopping the WiFi throughout the calculated break-in.
The video confirmed a determine in a black hoodie subsequent to a girl who gave the impression to be sporting a supply vest, breaking into her dwelling.
“I feel it’s positively organized by an organization or by some dangerous folks,” Bonaly advised the outlet.
In the course of the break in, Bonaly was in Minnesota as she cared for her mom, who’s battling lung, breast, and sternum most cancers.
Bonaly — who can be present process remedy for breast most cancers whereas sustaining her work as a coach — mentioned she returned three days after the housebreaking to search out her dwelling utterly ransacked.
Then, she made the gut-wrenching discovery that every one the medals she’s received over her profession — which spanned from 1989 to 1995 — had been stolen.
“European champion or world champion, junior, the whole lot — any medals that I had with my skating,” Bonaly mentioned.
Bonaly, who earned 5 European and 9 French nationwide titles, mentioned the medals commemorate pivotal moments from worldwide arenas all through her profession.
“I used to be there when the president of my French nation gave me that as a gift. So it’s a giant honor,” Bonaly shared.
The champion skater mentioned shedding her hard-earned medals has stuffed her with each anger and heartbreak.
“Effectively, simply — I really feel mad. I really feel like generally I really feel like I wish to cry,” she mentioned. “Some folks simply really feel prefer it’s higher to steal one thing from somebody than to go to work.”
Bonaly later discovered an analogous vest the lady was sporting throughout the break, deserted one road over from her dwelling, she advised Fox 5 Vegas.
Whereas being robbed of her prized possession has left her heartbroken, Bonaly mentioned she nonetheless loves her neighborhood and plans to remain, however plans to spice up safety round her dwelling with extra cameras.
“I’m hoping that I can discover possibly some medals. I’m hoping, and I pray actually that no [one’s] gonna soften that medal,” she mentioned.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division is investigating the housebreaking.
Bonaly was born in Good, France, and adopted from an orphanage by her mother and father when she was eight months outdated. From early childhood, she was educated to change into a world-renowned determine skater, Sports activities Illustrated reported.
Surya Bonaly represented France at Winter Olympics in 1992, 1994 and 1998.
She rose to worldwide fame within the Nineties for pushing the boundaries of determine skating along with her acrobatic type and signature backflips that had been unlawful in competitors.
On the 1998 Nagano Olympics in Japan, Bonaly shocked audiences by performing the first-ever backflip landed on one foot, in keeping with the Olympics’ web site.
She was penalized for the unlawful transfer, however it’s nonetheless thought-about one of many sport’s boldest moments.
Trying again on her trailblazing 1998 Olympic routine, Bonaly mentioned she feels a extra profound sense of pleasure in the present day than she did within the second.
“I admire it a lot extra now,” she advised Olympics.com. “I’m extra happy with myself in the present day than I used to be all these years in the past after I really did the backflip.”
Bonaly by no means medaled on the Olympic Video games however got here shut with a fourth-place end in 1994.
