By Frederick Halley

TORONTO, Canada – When Berbician Wilbert Benjamin left the shores of his homeland Guyana in 1992, the former national cyclist was bent on maintaining his love for the sport

which had become part and parcel of his family.

Hailing from Fyrish, Corentyne Berbice, and now residing in Toronto, Canada, Benjamin’s father, elder brother and uncle were all cyclists of some stature so it wasn’t by coincidence he quickly got initiated into the sport.

While Benjamin still competes periodically, he’s the proud owner of Benjamin Sports Sales & Services, which specialises in providing all brands of racing cycles and accessories, plus repairs and services.

This business was established in Toronto in 1998, one year after Benjamin took up residence here after spending five years in Montserrat following his migration from Guyana in 1992.

Still harbouring a love for his hometown, Benjamin went a step further with the opening of “Benjamin Sports” at Fyrish in 2012.

The well stocked sports store, which is being managed by his brother Gary, includes all makes of racing cycles and accessories –frames, wheel, bells, brakes, helmets, chains, pedals, seats among others.
Fitness equipment, including treadmills, are also part of the store’s stocks as Benjamin is a firm believer in fitness and opined that it should be an integral part of Guyanese daily lives.
A major difference in the two stores is while the one in Toronto caters mainly for cycling, the Fyrish entity sells a variety of sports equipment which includes cricket and soccer gears. True to form, the opening was christened by the staging of a grand cycle race.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle in his store here and intermittently interrupted by customers, Benjamin recalled his feats at the schools national championships in Guyana when he rode away with three consecutive national school titles in the late 80s.
Benjamin also pointed to his fine performances in several junior championships where he carted off titles along with his older brother Gary, who still rides occasionally in the veteran category. According to him, few in the ancient county wanted to compete against the “deadly” combination during the 80s and early 90s. The younger Benjamin also donned national colours at the Inter-Guiana and Carifta Games.

During his stint at the senior level, Benjamin represented Guyana at the Pan American and Texaco Games in the early 90s.
Migration did not deter his efforts to continue in cycling and according to him, he was crowned the B class champion for three consecutive weekends while also finishing among the top riders in what was then termed the Mid-West classic (road circuit) in Missassauga, Ontario. Benjamin also participated in the then popular Ride For Heart 75 kilometres road race, a charity event which served as a practice ride for upcoming events.
However, business commitments have hampered his saw his participation dwindled although he pointed out that retirement is a distant thought.

Still a staunch member of the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC), Benjamin has been a consistent contributor, both financially and otherwise, assisting several up and coming young cyclists in the process and also to villagers in the community. Over the years, Benjamin has been providing uniforms to the FACC which has been in existence for more than 30 years.
According to Benjamin, his aim is not only to assist cyclists and the people of Berbice but all of Guyana, moreso the persons who helped him along the way. He also wants the young cyclists to have all the latest equipment available at reasonable cost.