Frank Bruno
Inducted March 9, 2011
Frank Bruno was born in Toronto in 1962, and began a successful two-year college career on the basketball court in 1981. The talented two-sport athlete helped lead the Lords to its first ever OCAA Men’s Basketball Championship in 1982-83. That same season, he was also named an OCAA Championship All-Star. As a member of the Touch Football Varsity team, he helped bring home an OCAA Provincial Championship Bronze Medal. He capped off his athletic achievements by being named DC Male Athlete of the Year in his graduating season.
Not long after graduation, a serious work place accident fall saw him nearly lose his life. Not given much hope of surviving his injuries, let alone walking or talking again, to everyone’s amazement, Frank overcame paralysis and loss of speech and through intense therapy, he regained the ability to walk and speak again. Simply a miraculous turn of events. His competitive spirit never dampened, as he turned to athletics again and went on to became one of Canada’s most decorated Disabled Athletes in the sport of Track & Field.
When all was said and done, he achieved numerous record setting performances provincially, nationally and internationally. Culminating at the 1992 IX Barcelona Summer Paralympic Games, where he competed and won gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints, plus setting two new World and Paralympic Games Records as well as a Canadian Record.
All through his time spent representing his country in his new found sport, he always took time out of his schedule to support the Durham College Varsity programs; whether it be helping out at events, cheering the Green & Gold when they played in his hometown or travelling to nearly every OCAA Championship any of our teams competed in. Truly remarkable accomplishments by a truly remarkable human being that we are proud to call one for our own.
