Ilirian Kreshpa, known as LIRO, multifaceted athlete and coach

Ilirjan Kreshpa, best known as LIRO, is an athlete and coach with a spectrum, such as: juggler, acrobat, diver, swimmer, gymnast, one of the first to use Canoe, Surfer and the organizer of the first National competition of this sport , the initiator of Aeronautics in Vlora, etc. It continues to be energetic and multidimensional until the establishment of the "LIRO" Tourist Complex in Vlora. Ilirjan Kreshpa, known as Liro, was born in Vlora on a beautiful date, that of the festive beginning of every year, January 1, 1942. He was a smiling child, quite active and undefined in his discipline sporty. His adventurous spirit, supported by courage, pushed him to touch anything at the limits of the impossible. His passion was sportsmanship, engaging in everything up to the incredible, from deep-sea diving to space flight. The sea, in particular, was the environment where he thought and built different dreams of his sports life. He played as if he had that toy and you were his toy. He realized configurations that could only be realized there. When he entered the sea, before he was 10 years old, he was curiously followed by passers-by for his courage and the way he swam. It sank deeper and later reappeared, causing anxiety to the viewers who followed it from the shore.

First steps as a champion

His passion for the sea did not prevent him from going to the artistic acrobatics and gymnastics groups at the same time. He was one of the most talented. On the eve of the end of the 7-year school, in 1956, some swimmers from the city, Úngjëllush Shaska, Qamil Gjonzeneli, Mynyr Beqiri, Fatosh Konomi and Robert Mustafaraj, make them part of their team to run the 100 and 200 m freestyle races. free, in the National Championship to be held in Durrës. He competes alongside two well-known Durrsak swimmers, Kastriot Karamuço and Niko Korani. He is classified in second and third place even though he did not have real training exercises. His versatile dilettantism complemented the whole. Until 1962, he was the only finalist swimmer of that time. After that year he ends his career as a swimmer. After the swimming competitions of 1956, he goes to the two-year maritime school "Mujo Ulqinaku" in Durrës. This was the period that Liro was eventually enslaved by the sea. Although during the following years he would wander from one sport to another, the sea would be his inexhaustible passion. He would not be content with merely floating on its surface. Curiosity awoke in Liro to learn what you hide inside him, in the fruitless depths still unknown to him. The mysteries buried beneath compelled him to dive as deep as possible. He fell in love with her so much, practicing already in the sport called aqualangist. It was the year 1958 when he started to apply this sport of diving in Durrës with apnea (breathing), with a mask, tubes and paddles on his feet. He could go up to 20 m deep. This makes him the first diver of the city of Vlora. During school and a year after, he also worked in the merchant marine, from one port to another within the country. He came to Vlora in 1959.

Career in variety show and school in gymnastics

Aftësitë e tij shumëplanëshe, pikasen nga specialisti Haxhi Mata, i cili punonte si prestixhiator e xhongler në estradën e qytetit. Si artist cirku i Tiranës ishte emëruar në Vlorë. Ai e inkludoi Liron menjëherë në grupin e akrobacisë artistike ku dhe u mësonte ushtrime cirku, xhonglime e qëndrime të ndryshme ekuilibri deri në vitin 1962. Liro arriti të debutoj në disa shfaqje artistike ku shikohej e ndiqej me mjaftë kërshëri. Artistja e mirënjohur e cirkut, Viktori Sallaku, befasohet nga dhuntitë e këtij djaloshi vlonjat. Në kujtimet e saj, tashmë të botuara, ajo i dedikon disa rreshta komplimentues atij duke e vlerësuar si një artist cirku të së ardhmes. Për aq sa u morë, nuk do bënim gabim që Liron ta konsideronim si artistin e parë të Cirkut në Vlorë. Veprimtarinë në këtë gjini ai e ndërpret në vitin 1962 pasi shkon në Teknikumin e Fizkulturës, Tiranë. Atje specializohet në sportin e gjimnastikës. Gjatë tri viteve të shkollës, deri më 1965, aktivizohet me ekipin përfaqësues të gjimnastikës të IKF "Vojo Kushi" duke dhënë kontributin e tij në klasifikimin e vendeve të para të atij ekipi për gjatë gjithë kohës që ishte. Në përbërje ai ekip ka pasur, Shkëlqim Kuqo, Arqile Marko, Dilaver Hasani, Shpend Isufi dhe Guido Subashi.

Kthimi në Vlorë

After finishing school, he comes to Vlora. Appointed coach of the gymnastics team which was in the second category. For a short time, in 1967, he passed it to the first category. He continued as a coach of that team until 1968. During that time, from 1966 onwards, he was involved in training the swimming team together with Thoma Papa. This collaboration led to that team being declared the winner of the National Championship in 1967. Foresight for what was to happen, Liro approaches the youth team as a coach, Ilia Konomin. That team influenced the supply of new elements to the adult team. Liro's departure to perform his surprisingly backward military service at the age of 26 in 1968 dictated Ilia's commitment to coaching the adult team. In terms of age and passion, Liro had somewhat facilitating circumstances in order not to hinder him in his coaching work. Zadrat was the place where he, under the waves of the sea, waited for the swimmers who were the elite swimmers of the country, such as Jani Hondro, Tomor Dano, Skardilajd Shyti, Fatmir Zyka, Niko Bodo, Albert Mustafaj, Agim Levani, Hysni Troqe, Veni Bode, etc. During his life as a coach, 1966-1990, he broke over 100 records and produced 27 sports masters. Liro's portrayal is both scattered and difficult to do. This is because, in those years, he tried to train himself in some sports that were not developed in our country. We can confidently say that he was the initiator of some of them, not only diving but also windsurfing, sea shooting, canoeing, parasailing and even paragliding. For all these he deserves special portrayals which have both a horizontal and vertical extension. It is one of the rare ones in terms of energy but also special in terms of the way of wearing shorts all year round. Everyone can be suggested by him to go to the "LIRO" Tourist Complex. The impossibility of building one of the most beautiful tourist spots, he turned it into a possibility and reality with his always fresh and complex energies. He has already turned into a charismatic character of the city of Vlora.