Orange County supervisors induct 1st class of local hall of fame

Orange County officials Friday welcomed the first 10 inductees into its new Hall of Fame of local residents, including Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis and singer Gwen Stefani.

Louganis offered up a heartfelt testimonial to the “bliss and pain” of his childhood in Orange County and encouraged the youth who look up to him to break his diving records.

“I don’t usually do these things anymore,” Louganis said, adding he used to do it when his mother was alive because she took pride in seeing her son honored.

But Louganis added that “Orange County has been such an amazing place for me to grow up. It’s a place of bliss and pain for me, and the thing I’m reminded of is the correspondence I get from young kids saying, ‘I identify with you. I got into diving because I was bullied for the color of my skin or bullied because of my sexual identity or gender identity.'”

Louganis advises them “to be your own hero. Use me as a bench mark to inspire you, but go beyond me. I want to see my records broken. Be better than me… Be better than anyone else out there. Be yourself. Be the magic inside you. Don’t dim the light to make others feel more comfortable. Be the sun and shine and shine that warmth, that love, that light in the dark places because we’re all united and we’re all one.”

The others inducted into the first class of the Hall of Fame, which will be on display in the lobby outside of the board of supervisors’ hearing room in Santa Ana, were businessman Frank Jao, civic leader and Air Force Maj. Gen. William Lyon, Walt Disney, songwriter Bill Medley, singer Gwen Stefani, philanthropist Henry Segerstrom, Olympic champion Amanda Beard, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant and golf icon Tiger Woods.

Stefani reminisced about evenings watching the closing fireworks at Disneyland growing up in Anaheim.

“I am absolutely honored to be inducted with these incredible recipients,” Stefani said. “I grew up in a cul de sac in Anaheim. My entire world was between Euclid Street and Harbor Boulevard. … It was literally like Disneyland was our backyard.”

Stefani credited the diversity of Orange County for inspiring much of her art.

“Orange County was where my dreams were born,” she said. “It’s my roots, my culture. And I’ve never left Anaheim behind. It’s always been with me. … I’ve always had such pride and gratitude from where I’ve come from. This is an incredible, amazing and mind-blowing honor.”

Beard remembered growing up about a block away from a training center people all over the world flocked to.

“I am very truly grateful for the honor,” Beard said.

Medley videotaped a speech as he was unable to attend the ceremony.

“I was surprised when I was inducted,” Medley said.

Medley said his parents moved to Santa Ana when he was about 18 months old and that his father was “head of communications” for the sheriff’s department.

“Bobby and I of the Righteous Brothers have been all over the world, and it was always exciting to come home to Orange County,” he said. “It has always been so special because the people here have been so supportive of the Righteous Brothers and myself. … This means a whole lot to me.”

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