Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Dr. George Gemer: I was a Horse in Bryansk and My Journey of Miracles

Topic:

Dr. Gemer is a survivor of the Russian gulags following WWII and was only just awarded an honorary degree from the University of Lethbridge in October.  He has recently finished his second book, “My Journey of Miracles”  which is an inspiring story for us to hear just before Christmas.

Speaker Bio:

George V. Gemer survived World War II prisoner of war camps to become a skilled draftsman and internationally acclaimed track and field coach and official.

George Gemer was born in Felsogod, Hungary. During World War II, George Gemer lost a brother during the Russian bombing of Hungary and another brother on the Russian front.

From 1945 to 1951, he was interned in Russian prisoner of war camps, later writing a book called I Was a Horse in Bryansk that detailed his experiences.

Of his eventual release from the camps, George Gemer wrote “My worth would be decided not by my political views, but by my productivity, my personality, and my self worth. I would be given a fair chance to make the best of my life. The gates of the free world were suddenly opened to me.”

George Gemer took that “fair chance.” He escaped to Western Europe in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution, and arrived in Canada in 1957. He went on to become a skilled design draftsman and made a career with the Oldman River Regional Planning Commission. He also became an internationally acclaimed track and field coach and official, where his many accomplishments are widely known.

George Gemer has taught track and field, and later fencing at the University of Lethbridge since the institution’s inception in 1967. As a coach, his guidance went beyond the technical to the social development and gratitude for the quality of life in Alberta and Canada. Thousands of students have been exposed to his knowledge, graciousness, and zest for life.

Over his career, George Gemer has extensive coaching and managerial experience at the highest levels of international sport including the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Pan American Games. George Gemer has been a key figure in developing and operating several organizations including the Alberta Track and Field Association and the International Track and Field Coaches Association.

He formed the Lethbridge Track and Field Club in 1958, coaching its members until 1974.

George Gemer has had a huge impact on his athletes, Pronghorn Athletics, and the University of Lethbridge through his teaching, coaching, and team spirit. He has an award named after him, the George Gemer Coaching Award, which recognizes a coach’s long-term commitment to the sport.

He has been inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorn Hall of Fame. He was presented with the Queen’s medal for his contributions towards building sport in Canada and the “Hungarian Cross,” a national Hungarian award in recognition of his dedication to his heritage.

In honour of his remarkable journey from the depths of the Gulag to inspiring generations of young athletes, the University of Lethbridge is proud to confer upon George V. Gemer the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.