For some three decades as an athlete, coach, board member and racing team manager, Greg Hopkins has been a key figure in the sport of cycling in Bermuda.Now, his considerable contributions to the sport have been honoured with a Volunteer Recognition Award from the Association of National Sports Governing Bodies. Hopkins, 66, was one of five honourees at a ceremony held at the Bermuda Olympic Association headquarters. Also nominated by their respective national associations, and receiving awards at the event, were Ian Truran, equestrian; Charles Clarke, football; Emma Simmons, field hockey; and Wayne Raynor, athletics.David Sabir, president of the ANSGB, said the honourees were recognised “as a show of appreciation and gratitude for the many hours and sacrifices that the recipients have given to their sports, and to sports generally in Bermuda”.Born in England, Hopkins arrived on the island in 1982 to work as a teaching police officer at the Police Training School. He raced competitively in Bermuda and internationally as a triathlete until the 1990s, and was president of the Bermuda Triathlon Association from 1985 to 1988.Hopkins later turned his concentration to competitive cycling, which he gave up only four years ago. He was president of the national cycling body for three years, and today sits on the organisation’s board of directors, while for five years until 2003, Hopkins ran the national cycling squad programme. He has taken teams to the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games, and Caribbean Championships. Hopkins’s son, Kaden, represents Bermuda internationally as a cyclist.Yesterday, the award recipient said: “It is almost embarrassing the attention I am getting. Lots of people have done as much or more than I have. It is really nice to get acknowledged, but it is so easy to do these things when you have a passion for a sport. It is so easy to contribute the time you have to help support it, and promote it.”He added: “I felt I got a lot out of sports in Bermuda, and so it came naturally that you give back.”Hopkins, co-owner of the Winner’s Edge specialist cycling shop on Front Street and operator of a racing five years until 2003, Hopkins ran the national cycling squad programme. He has taken teams to the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games, and Caribbean Championships. Hopkins’s son, Kaden, represents Bermuda internationally as a cyclist.Yesterday, the award recipient said: “It is almost embarrassing the attention I am getting. Lots of people have done as much or more than I have. It is really nice to get acknowledged, but it is so easy to do these things when you have a passion for a sport. It is so easy to contribute the time you have to help support it, and promote it.”He added: “I felt I got a lot out of sports in Bermuda, and so it came naturally that you give back.”Hopkins, co-owner of the Winner’s Edge specialist cycling shop on Front Street and operator of a racing club by the same name, said competing as a cyclist “gave me the opportunity to reach personal goals in competition. I have always been very competitive with myself, reaching to be the best I could be.“I got a lot of satisfaction out of the things I personally achieved, and so helping people achieve the same things, and organising events, was something I felt I wanted to do. To see people compete successfully, and successfully for Bermuda, it was so satisfying to play a small part in making it possible.”Hopkins said he got particular satisfaction out of seeing Bermuda’s junior cyclists battle through administrative hurdles to win medals at the 2014 Junior Caribbean Championships in Surinam. He said: “To see 15- and 16-year-olds deal with the difficulties that trip threw at us, and come away with medals, was the most satisfying thing I experienced in 30 years.“Also, to win medals at the Caribbean Championships, our regionals. Bermuda is second to none, we have won more medals at those championships than any country.”Hopkins paid tribute to the contributions to the sport made by long-time cycling association president Peter Dunne.He said: “Peter has achieved more than any of us. When someone is the head of a sport like that, you want to help, to add your experience and enthusiasm to what he’s doing.”