You might think a man nominated for an ESPY award more than 20 years ago would be relegated to front porch storytelling by now, sipping lemonade, and nursing the numerous aches he’s acquired over the years. You haven’t met Brian Lopes.

Now a “fully seasoned” 50 years old, Lopes is still winning major mountain bike races—his 2022 calendar filled with multiple 1st place finishes:

• February: Mob n Mojave Enduro – 1st  place
• April: Reaper Madness Enduro – 1st  place
• June: Mega Volt XC stage race – 1st  place

A proud Yamaha Bicycles brand ambassador, Lopes has a resume as prestigious as anyone in the sport: 9 NORBA national championships. 6 UCI World Cup wins. 4 UCI titles. He’s been inducted into both the Mountain Bike and BMX Halls of Fame. He’s even held world records in bunny hopping and been digitally recreated for a PlayStation 2 game.

And you know, while video game technology has grown by leaps and bounds since the PS2 days of the early 2000s (it’s the PlayStation 5 these days), Brian Lopes could still star in a new mountain biking game today. Respect.