Gord was born in Calgary on January 2, 1932. As a young man, he had a passion for running and was very successful at it as well. In 1956 Gord moved to Hamilton to pursue his running career with the Hamilton Olympic Club. His prowess earned him a scholarship to Drake University in Des Moines Iowa and then another to New York University in 1959. In this same year, Gord received the Jack Davies Award as the top Distance Runner in Canada and was named the nation's top male amateur athlete, receiving the Norton N Crow Award.
The list of accomplishments in running is truly noteworthy. In total Gord earned 10 Canadian Championships in his career. He is a six-time Canadian marathon champion and he set a national record in 1958 with a personal best time of 2:21:50. He represented Canada in the Rome Olympics of 1960. In Commonwealth Games, he was 5th in the Marathon in 1958 and 12th in 1962. It is worth noting that Gord was chosen as the Canadian Team flag bearer in the Opening Ceremonies for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Gord is also a bronze medallist from the 1959 Pan American Games. As well he is a three-time champion at the Canadian Cross Country Championships; placed in the top 7 three times in the prestigious Boston Marathon and is a 5-time winner of the Hamilton Around the Bay 30 kilometre Road Race, twice setting course records.
Gord moved to Burlington in 1970, assuming a job with the Halton Board of Education, all the while continuing his running and supporting young, up-and-coming runners. For the past ten years he has spent two evenings a week coaching at the indoor tracks at McMaster University and at the Mississauga Y. Twice a week outdoors you can find him coaching at the tracks at M.M. Robinson High School and the Mississauga Y. Gord has also done his part internationally. He has been a mentor, coach, and friend to Kenyan runners who train locally. He is a liaison with the New Balance Kenyan team arranging transportation, training facilities, and housing in addition to his coaching.
Gord is described as selfless by all who know him and he continues to consistently give back to the sport in such generous proportions that he has earned the total respect of the running community in Burlington.
Gord passed away in 2015.