Berger immigrated to Canada from Ukraine through Vienna, Austria where he waited for the visa to go through in 1977.

His Canadian career in Judo took off in 1978 when he won a gold medal in the Western Canada Summer Games.

[6][7][8] In 1986, he won the silver medal in the +95 kg weight category at the judo demonstration sport event as part of the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

[9] Berger won a gold medal at the 1983 Pan American Games, and was voted the province's Athlete of the Year.

In 1984 at the Los Angeles Olympics, he earned a bronze medal in judo in the heavyweight division.