After of the firsts 100 meters, the body begins to send the first distress signals. It is the worst section. He lacks air. He feels the need to get out of the water, but he doesn’t. His legs begin to fill with lactic acid. Inside, everything is twisted, but Nacho Peral (Alicante, 1968), two-time world champion of dynamic apnea, keep going forward in the pool. Whoever swims the most meters without breathing wins. It’s that simple, that hard. He knows that when he passes 125, already in hypoxia (a state of oxygen deficiency in the blood), he will feel better. And after 150, even better. In the 200, “the sensation is beastly”, he assures in conversation with AS. In May, at the Championships of the Kuwait world, reached 203.56 meters with bifins and 238.8 with monofin, almost five Olympic pools. “He’s wild”, he can’t contain. He won both categories. In the second, he also broke two records: Spain’s and the world’s in the master’s category.
“I feel like I’ve won the lottery,” he says as soon as he picks up the phone. He is 55 years old, but his enthusiasm is contagious. She needs it. He usually competes against rivals much younger than him. At the international level, moreover, he hits the economic wall. In Spain, apnea, despite the fact that it has grown in recent yearsIt is a minority sport. In Eastern Europe, it is a much more widespread practice. “In many cases, they are financed directly by their states,” he explains. Nacho, on the other hand, is a technical architect. That is his profession. Freediving, his passion.
When he finishes work, he goes to train. “My routine is a mess,” she admits with a laugh. During the week you cannot get into the water until 8:30 or 9:00 PM. Squeeze the weekends. “I sacrifice my personal life. I have a very strict diet. To compete with 20-year-olds, it’s a lot of cloth. I have to take care of everything down to the smallest detail ”, she recounts. Her family not only supports her, but is a part of her competitive life. He has two children and both have come out to him, although each one in a different direction. One is also a technical architect and covers his back when, between tournaments, work accumulates; the other, Álvaro, has been his coach during years. A veterinarian by profession, he continues to accompany him when he can. Inside the water, they are connected. Nobody understands him like he does. He knows what his gestures mean, how to calm him down at all times. It is that air that is missing.
The origin: underwater fishing
Looking to the past is always helpful to understand the present. Even to predict the future. Álvaro’s grandfather, Nacho’s father, is the purest origin of the world record from Alicante, whose city is proudly inscribed on his fins. The Perals have always been fond of spearfishing. From parents to children. “I’ve been doing it since I was very young. My father taught me. When I was young, they didn’t let me have a motorbike, which was taboo at home, but they allowed me to go fishing. It can be practiced safely, I do not see it as a danger. It creates a tremendous adrenaline rush. It’s beautiful”, recalls Nacho.
Over the years, the Spanish and world record holder rediscovered the sea. His way of understanding and loving him. The objective, little by little, was changing. The fishing itself lost importance with each plunge. And the ocean was winning. “I started to get into 40 or 50 meter depths and enjoy them. I was leaving the rifle. Going down and observing the marine life became what I liked the most”, he explains. “What have I found? Of everything. Species very different from those of other depths. Even sunken ships! ”, He adds.
Parallel to this underwater introspection process, freediving appeared as a sport. Again, with family ties as the engine. Álvaro was the first in the house to start. Almost at the same time, Nacho began. “I went to take him to a course and, given my underwater practices, the instructor encouraged me to try it. I was just going to accompany him, but I jumped in,” he recalls. In his first static apnea, he lasted 5:15 minutes underwater. “With that time, they told me that I was worth it for this,” he details. Now, he is able to hold his breath for almost nine minutes (8:56 personal best).
“They call you crazy”
In dynamic apnea competitions, there are up to five referees ensuring the safety of the participants. Three is out of the water and two is in. When an athlete finishes his exercise, he must make the “ok” sign with his hand, with index and thumb forming a zero and the other three fingers perfectly raised. In addition, it must be 30 seconds without the mouth or the neck touching the water. It has its dangers. “I have had many scares, they have taken me out of the water several times. We are not Olympics because of the accidents that exist. They label you crazy”, explains Nacho. In freediving you progress meter by meter, second by second. “Over time, I have been learning from mistakes. If you do 55 meters, then you should look for 55. You are gaining confidence and understanding your body ”, reflects Peral.
The syncopes, sambas Within the jargon (for the uncontrolled movement with which the body responds), they are common during competitions. Without going any further, two competitors suffered them in Kuwait, where Nacho broke his roof. Despite his seniority and a body battered by injuries, he wants more. “The 250 meters is my dream,” she says. The laboratory Atika Pharma he pampers him so he can chase him. The man from Alicante, after carrying a monofin that weighs 4.5 kg for years, has severely damaged his tendons. “The retinaculum of the foot is my kryptonite,” he laments. “I’m broken,” she adds. But is. He wants to touch that 250 meter wall. “I always say that I’m going to retire, but they already make fun of me,” she jokes. He feels that he can achieve his goal in the next competition. In the umpteenth eternal plunge of him.