This article is part of our new series, “The People of Leros”, where we highlight individuals either from the island or who have chosen Leros as a special home. Each person stands out through their unique story, passions, and the meaningful ways they enrich the community.
Fanouris Kontogiorgakis serves as a reminder that you don’t need to leave Leros to reach the top. Born and raised on the island, he built his entire athletic career while living here, training on its hills, traveling for races and always returning home. Today, he’s not only a champion on cycling but also a driving force in the community, turning his passion for sports and nature into projects that bring people together. At the same time, he and his wife are raising their three children, balancing family life with everything he does for the island. Between running his bike shop, offering rentals, volunteering as a forest firefighter and rescuer and being one of the most active and beloved people in Leros, he still keeps his family at the heart of his life.
How did your interest in cycling begin and when did you realize you wanted to pursue it more seriously?
As a child, I felt that the bicycle was pure freedom. It wasn’t just a means of transportation, it was a way to discover the world around me, to feel nature, to set goals and push my limits. In Leros, every route had a soul. It was the tool that taught me persistence, passion and discipline.
As I grew older, I understood that I couldn’t see it as just a hobby. I wanted to push myself to the maximum, to represent my island and to show that even from a small island you can reach the top. From then on, cycling became a way of life. Every training session, every race, every fall and every success is part of who I am today.
What does it mean for you to be a national champion coming from a small island like Leros?
Becoming a national champion and reaching this level from Leros is something hard to describe. Behind every medal there is sweat, pain, grit and countless hours of training alone, far from facilities and conditions that others take for granted elsewhere.
For me, this achievement is not personal; it’s a victory for everyone who believed that the island can produce champions, for the children who see that dreams have no geographic limits. We have “bled hard,” as they say, to get here and that makes every moment on the podium worth a thousand times more.
What are the biggest challenges and advantages of training here compared to mainland Greece?
The challenges are clear: limited spaces, fewer opportunities for group training, high travel costs for competitions. But all that made me stronger.
Leros has something that few places have: authenticity and vast natural training grounds. Steep climbs, technical descents, forest trails and routes by the sea. It’s an island that “builds” you as an athlete, because every kilometre is both a challenge and an experience.
"Leros is much more than a place; it is the source of my strength. Whatever I’ve achieved, I owe it to the support, love and inspiration I receive from this island."
What achievement are you most proud of so far?
Of course, winning the Greek Championship title three times in Cross Country MTB and four Dodecanese championship titles, along with competing internationally next to world champions, are major milestones.
But if something truly makes me proud, it’s that I managed to give Leros the place it deserves on the cycling map.
I created a mountain-bike track on the island, with technical climbs, descents, rock gardens and natural obstacles. We now host high-level races and, most importantly, children in Leros have their own Leros Cycling Academy EquAll to learn sports from the ground up.
That is the greatest achievement: leaving something behind.
How has your own journey helped highlight Leros as a cycling destination?
My career and our work at LEROS BIKES cycling store have played a decisive role. Through rentals, tours, training, race organization and promotional actions, I managed to show that Leros is not just a beautiful island, and a complete cycling destination.
My experience as an athlete helped design routes, organize races and create a new culture on the island – where cycling connects with tourism, education and the environment.
And of course, this also boosts the island’s economy through an alternative form of tourism.
Leros was recently recognized as a Bike Friendly Destination. What does this mean for the island and for you personally? What is the cycling scene like today?
Leros’ recognition as a Bike Friendly Destination didn’t happen by chance. It was the result of personal work from myself and others who believed the island deserved this distinction. We worked methodically, opened and maintained trails, highlighted natural routes and ensured that Leros met all criteria to be a certified cycling destination.
Personally, I am the only certified Bike Friendly Partner in Leros in the field of rentals and tours, and this is something I continuously promote through my shop and my initiatives.
This certification is not just a title, it proves that when there is vision and effort, an island can stand equal to the most developed destinations in the country.
Right now, I am working methodically and professionally to ensure our island remains a Bike Friendly Destination. Without personal work, we wouldn’t be able to prove what we promote, nor be a certified island.
Which are the most popular cycling destinations and routes on the island?
Leros offers an exceptional variety of routes that challenge the body and fill the soul. Some examples include:
- The track at Fytorio, above Merikia, which now also operates in reverse direction with technical sections and jumps.
- The Lakki – Panteleimonas Castle – Xirokampos route, which combines history, architecture, mountain and sea.
- The small villages and the trails that connect the island from end to end, with stunning views of the Aegean.
As the organizer of the Leros Mountain Bike Race, how did you manage to make it happen and why should someone participate?
The Mountain Bike race in Leros was a dream that started from zero and became reality through much personal effort and passion. With the support of the local community, volunteers and cycling friends, we created a race of European standards in a breathtaking natural landscape.
Anyone who participates lives something authentic – the magic of the island, the energy of the place and the feeling of a big family that loves cycling. I want every athlete to leave wanting to return.
Leros deserves to be a permanent stop on the Greek mountain-bike calendar.
For me, Leros is much more than a place; it is the source of my strength. Everything I’ve achieved, I owe to the support, love and inspiration I draw from my island. My goal is to keep investing here, creating opportunities for children and keeping the passion for sports alive.
"I managed to show that Leros is not just a beautiful island - it is a complete cycling destination."
What is the role of the Cycling Academy for the island’s youth? What skills and values do children gain through cycling?
The Leros Cycling Academy is not just a sports project, it is a social one. A vibrant space that unites the island’s children around cycling, education, cooperation and the concept of equality.
Through our collaboration with Piraeus Bank and the EquAll program, we created the Leros Cycling Academy EquAll – turning a vision into action: giving equal opportunities to all children, regardless of social, economic or family circumstances.
Piraeus Bank stood by us with genuine interest, not only as a sponsor but as a socially conscious partner who believes in the power of sports to change lives.
Through the program, children from vulnerable groups gained access to equipment, guidance and opportunities they might never have had.
It’s not just bikes, it’s a vehicle for confidence, social inclusion and hope.
The Academy teaches much more than technique:
- It teaches respect, cooperation, discipline and environmental awareness.
- It builds confidence and responsibility.
- It creates strong bonds within the community.
For me, this is the greatest achievement: that in Leros, a small island, we created a model social-athletic program that shows what can be done when there is vision, collaboration and love for children.
Piraeus Bank, through its trust and support, gave life to something that no longer belongs to us – it belongs to the children and the future of the island.
"Through games, group activities, small-scale races and experiential learning, children realise that sports are not an obligation but a way of life."
How do you encourage children to engage in cycling and sports in general?
Our approach is based on joy and education. We don’t impose sports, we make it attractive and fun.
Through games, group activities, small-scale races and experiential learning, children realise that sports are not an obligation but a way of life.
We help them understand that the bicycle is not only training; it is a friend, a means of expression and freedom. When a child feels joy on the bike, that is our greatest success.
What message would you give to young people who want to start cycling as a form of exercise?
I would tell them to start without fear and without comparing themselves to others.
Cycling is a journey, not only on two wheels, but inside yourself. Every route, every kilometre, every fall is an experience. You don’t need everything to start, you just need willpower.
The bicycle teaches patience, persistence, discipline and respect and these are tools for life.
If you want to change something in your life, start on two wheels.
How do you see the future of cycling in Leros, and what initiatives would you like to see implemented?
The future of cycling in Leros is bright and promising. I see an island gradually transforming into a true centre of sustainable mobility, where the bicycle has a place in everyday life, tourism and education.
I would like to see:
- More infrastructure and signage for cycling routes.
- Educational programs in schools for road safety and respect for cyclists.
- International races and children’s camps that will attract visitors and athletes from all over Greece and Europe.
For Fanouris Kontogiorgakis, Leros has always been more than home, it has been his source of strength. From a child exploring the island on a bike to a national champion committed to giving back, his story shows how passion and discipline can shape both a life and a community. The trails he created, the young athletes he inspires and the growing cycling culture he supports have helped set Leros on a new path. And as he continues his work, the island will keep moving forward with him. Thank you, Fanouris, for everything you do for Leros.
