TicketsDec. 21, 2010
This is the third in a series profiling the 2010 James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame class. This week, we catch up with Honza "Jan" Vitazka, who rewrote the UC men's swimming record books during his career before going on to international glory.
By Dave Malaska
GoBEARCATS.com
Honza Vitazka credits the University of Cincinnati with giving him a "tremendous jump-start" into his life.
The swimmer, a native of the Czech Republic, made the most of his years in Clifton from 1996-99, earning six All-American nods while taking ownership of the Bearcats' record book. He also completed both his bachelor's degree and an MBA in four years. But, most importantly, Cincinnati is where he met fellow Bearcat All-American Maria Oberg.
A decade later, the two are married and living in Malmo, Sweden -- close to both Honza's family, still in the Czech Republic, and Maria's family in nearby Sjobo -- and raising their 2-year-old son, Anton. That's where Honza received word last summer that he had been selected for induction into UC's James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame.
"I was surprised," says Vitazka. "It didn't seem like I was far enough removed from competing to be included in that kind of honor. It's a great honor, especially to be considered in the same company of the other Hall of Fame members. I remember the old Hall of Fame that used to be up outside the athletic department. I never thought I'd be up there with them."
That Vitazka is deserving is of little doubt.
After arriving at Cincinnati, he quickly became a standout for the Bearcats, capturing three team records as a freshman. With a year's experience under his belt, he took another leap forward as a sophomore, becoming an All-American by taking fourth place in the 200 IM, sixth in the 400 IM and 16th in the 200 Butterfly at the NCAA Nationals. He boosted his resume the following year, adding three more All-American titles at the nationals.
After leaving Cincinnati, he became a member of the Czech Republic national team and competed in the 100 butterfly, and the 200 and 400 individual medleys in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
| Honza Vitazka during his days as a student-athlete at UC. |
He still holds UC's records in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and the 200 butterfly, and six Czech Republic national team records.
After he and Oberg were married in 2003, the couple stayed in the U.S. for a while, first living in the Dallas area, then back to Ohio.
By 2007, the couple started thinking about starting a family, and decided to move to Sweden.
"We had talked about it for a while, where we wanted to raise children. We wanted to be closer to our families," says Vitazka. "Living in Sweden has been a huge adjustment, after living in the states for such a long time. It's a new country for me, too, so I've had to learn the language and make a lot of adjustments."
Anton, their son, arrived in 2008, and the couple built a new home in Malmo, just across the border from Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009. Jan is working for a Copenhagen marketing firm, while Maria is part of a small e-commerce company there.
Competition remains a big part of their lives, too. While still in the U.S., they took to competing in triathlons and Iron Man events. These days, Maria still swims with the local masters team and both she and Jan have competed in the Swedish nationals.
That, Jan admits, is starting to wind down.
"Training takes so much time, and with Anton growing up, it changes your priorities," he says.
It's unlikely they've seen their last meet, though. Though Anton's only 2, he's already become a familiar face around the pool at local meets.
"We took him to the Swedish Nationals when he was about a half-year old, maybe 8-months old," Jan laughs. "He's already used to being around the pool, and really likes it. I think he'll be a swimmer. We're not going to put any pressure on him, but I think so."
And though Cincinnati is half the globe away, it's never far from Jan and Maria's minds. Maria's online blog is dotted with new pictures of the family with former Bearcat teammates, and even the family's bulldog, Torsten, is shown sporting a UC leash.
"We both owe Cincinnati so much;" says Jan. "The University will always be a big part of our lives."
To keep up with the Vitazkas, you can follow Maria's blog online at www.vitazka.wordpress.com.