A former Olympic gold medalist is fighting wildfires in California as they persist.

In 2008, David Walters, a former University of Texas swimmer, won a gold medal for Team USA in the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Now, nearly two decades later, his name has resurfaced for an entirely different reason.

For nearly a decade, Walters has been a firefighter in Los Angeles and is among the more than 7,500 firefighting and emergency personnel working to control the wildfires currently ravaging Southern California.

Recently, the former Olympian spoke to News Nation about the devastation he experienced after working two days straight, according to the outlet.

""We're not laying down. We're staying in our position, as I slept on top of the hose bed last night, ready to do what we can still do," an exhausted Walters stated."

As strong winds continue to fuel the fires, at least 10 people have died and thousands of structures, including 10,000 from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena, have burned down.

On Tuesday, the largest fire in Pacific Palisades started, and officials reported on Thursday evening that the containment for that fire was only at 6%.

Walters continued, "I deeply apologize to the residents living here."

"Despite our best efforts, we were defeated. Now, we are taking a break and focusing on improving our health and nutrition to maintain our activity level."

In 2008, Walters, 37, won gold in the men’s 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay at the Olympics, setting a then-Olympic record with a time of 7:04.66. That was his only Olympic appearance. That same year, he also won his first NCAA individual title in the men’s 200 freestyle.

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