A native of Austria, Godfrey Brunner fought in World War II on the side of the Axis Powers and was held as a prisoner of war in Russia for several years thereafter. He arrived in Canada in 1949 and began working at a furniture factory prior to transferring to a Canadian Tire that was owned by his brother John. This move allowed him to spend his nights learning English at a special school. He joined the Hanover Pistol Club of Ontario in 1952 and, by 1958, was already winning international acclaim for his talents in the slow fire event. He first competed for Canada at the 1959 Pan American Games, placing fourth in a field of sixty-five competitors in the slow fire tournament. The following year he represented the country at the 1960 Summer Olympics, finishing 56th out of 57 competitors and 30th out of 67 entrants in the Rapid-Fire Pistol, 25 metres and Free Pistol, 50 metres events respectively. As the city of Hanover’s only Olympian, he was honored on the Hanover Walk of Fame and also won several awards as a master wood chip carver.
Canada