 In 1965, Spero was training on Lake Zurich with Martin Studach and Melchior Bürgin  and went with them to Henley Royal Regatta, where he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls and Studach and Bürgin won the Double Sculls, both setting new Henley course records.Spero also won the Gold Medal at the 1965 Duisburg International Regatta and the U.S. Quadruple sculls championship.In 1966, he repeated as U.S. Champion in Single Sculls.