Forgive Hernan Vespa if his command of the English language is a little weak. After all, the Argentinian native has only been in the United States for 15 months, the last year of which has been spent living in Weehawken.
"I try hard with my English," Vespa said. "But I’m not so good."
But Vespa does his best to communicate, studying at the Berlitz School in New York. And although he struggles at first, he does manage to get his point across quite well for someone who has not lived in America very long.
When Vespa is not brushing up on his second language by reading books, watching American movies and watching television, he’s hard at work in the pool, training for another upcoming swimming competition.
"I try to train every day," Vespa said. "All year, I go to the pool three times a week and the other days, I go to the gym to work out. I have to keep in shape, because I want to stay in good condition."
Make that world-class condition, because the 30-year-old Vespa is a Masters swimmer, the premier Latin-American swimmer in four events in his age class.
At the Latino-American Masters Swimming Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, held August 19-25, Vespa won four gold medals in the 30-34 year-old age group, capturing the gold in the 50-meter freestyle, the 100-meter freestyle, the 50-meter butterfly and the 100-meter butterfly.
And although Vespa is two years older than the last time he competed in the Latino-American Championships in Fort Lauderdale in 1999, he has managed to maintain almost the same times that he achieved at the 1999 Games.
"I feel good about keeping the same times," Vespa said. "It’s nice to win, but I’m more happy about keeping the times. As long as the times are good, I don’t care if I win."
Vespa has been swimming competitively since he was 10 years old, growing up in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, but first realized he had world class potential at the age of 16.
In fact, Vespa was a national finalist in Argentina in 1987, when he was just 17 years old, and again in 1988. He fell just short of qualifying for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.
"It is the dream of all athletes to go to the Olympics, but it’s only for a few people," Vespa said. "I was never able to go to qualify. It was sad for me, but I just didn’t make it."
Vespa remained at the highest competitive level in Argentina until he was 20 years old, when, frustrated, he decided to retire.
"That was it for me," Vespa said. "No more water. I was tired of water. My friends were all going to parties and the beach and I was staying in the pool all day. I didn’t want to swim anymore. I was finished with swimming. I wanted to study journalism."
However, the economic times in Rosario were not good. Vespa had a tough time trying to get into a college to study writing and journalism. He had to find a job.
"In 1995, I took a lifeguard course, so I could teach swimming," Vespa said. "It was a chance for me to get a job. Once I got back in the pool again, I felt like I wanted to swim again. I started to train again."
A former Argentine Olympic swimmer, Fabian Ferrari, opened a pool in Rosario and hired Vespa. With his expertise in swimming, Ferrari became Vespa’s personal trainer, and entered Vespa in several local and national competitions, all in the Masters divisions.
"I was too old for the Olympics," Vespa laughed.
From 1996 through 1999, Vespa won the national championships in Argentina in his 25-to-29 age group, besting more than 150 other swimmers. He broke the Masters records in all four events, two freestyle and two butterfly.
"For me, it was easy, because I was swimming for pleasure, not for competition," Vespa said. "I didn’t matter if I won or not."
But he won. A lot. In fact, Vespa didn’t lose a single race for four years.
In 1997, Vespa went to his first Latino-American games and won the 50-meter butterfly, finished second in the 50 free, and took third in the 100 free. A year later, Vespa competed in the South American Masters championships in Brazil and placed in three events.
When his wife, Gabriela, got a job with the Berlitz School in Manhattan as a translator and manager, he was forced to leave his native Argentina in late 1999.
"I liked Argentina," Vespa said. "My family and friends are there. But the times are hard in Argentina. The economy is bad. My wife was getting a good job, so I had to come. Gaby came to work and I came to study English. I have a permit to study, not to work."
Added Vespa, "I first came to New York [Brooklyn, then Manhattan], and it was an experience. I wasn’t used to such living. But then we came to Weehawken. I like Weehawken. We’re close to New York. The people here are friendly and I feel very safe. It’s also very quiet."
Swims in JC
With nowhere to train in New Jersey, Vespa’s swimming career appeared at a standstill. But a neighbor recommended Pershing Field pool in Jersey City, so Vespa goes there to train by himself three times a week, as well as going to work out at the New York Athletic Club.
"I swim with my watch on," Vespa said. "That’s how I watch my times. Plus, I know how fast I’m going in my head. I swim about 4,000 meters a week, when a competition is coming up. But it’s hard training alone. You need the coach outside the pool, yelling. Sometimes, I’m tired and all alone and don’t want to swim. I’m ready to give up and go home. But that’s when you need someone to yell, ‘Go, go, go.’ That’s why I need a coach."
Vespa doesn’t know how long he will remain in Weehawken, or the United States, for that matter. If he remains here, the competitions are few and far between. Last year, Vespa competed in the U. S. National Masters championships in Baltimore.
"I only trained one month and I wasn’t really ready," said Vespa, who finished eighth in the 50-meter freestyle. "But it was a good experience. The American championships are really like the World Championships, with all the best swimmers there. So it was good for me to go."
Vespa is hoping to go to the 2002 World Championships in New Zealand. The 2002 U.S. Nationals are in Cleveland.
"Maybe I can go to both," Vespa said. "I would need a sponsor. I would have to train so hard for those competitions. But I like to go, because I like to see other people and see how they swim. I also feel good in the pool again. I like swimming again."
If he is able to remain in the United States on a permanent basis, Vespa would like to perhaps teach swimming or venture into sports journalism. He has written some articles for Diario Hoy, a national publication.
"I like writing about sports," Vespa said. "And I’d like to stay in the pool."