Fernando J. Canales
Encyclopedia
Fernando J. Canales is a former freestyle
swimmer from Puerto Rico
and swimming coach. Up until the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he was the Head Assistant Coach for Men's Swimming & Diving at his Alma Mater, The University of Michigan, and also for the USA National Championship Team, Club Wolverine, home for numerous Olympic champions and medalists. He is a member of the USA Swimming
's International Relations Committee as well as the United States' technical representative for the Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas
(ASUA/UANA). He is an Assistant Director of Development for The University of Michigan Athletic Department. He is currently the head coach at Colgate University
. In his first season at Colgate, the Women's Team took home the 2011 Patriot League Championship, and the Men's Team finished the meet in fifth place.
His father is Francisco Canales Roman, from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico and his mother is Carmen Alvarez Canales, from Mexico City D.F. Fernando has two brothers (swimmer Francisco-Harvard '78 & Stanford '82; Harry Noel-Michigan '87) and one sister (Sandra Lee-CMU '88 & Grand Valley State '89). He graduated from Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola in 1977 and was honored for civic service and athletic achievements with the symbolic key to the City of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico in 1978.
He graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology of Exercise and a Bachelor of Arts in History and English from the University of Michigan
. After his graduation he worked with legendary Olympic coaches Jon Urbanchek
and Dick Kimball
from 1982 to 1987 and helped the Wolverines reclaim the Big Ten Championship Title after a 24 year drought in March 1986. Canales was the Head Swimming and Water Polo Coach at the University of California, Santa Cruz
from 1990 to 1992 where he also taught classes within the Physical Education Department.
He became a National Swimming Champion at an early age by becoming the top ranked 17 and under, 100 meter freestyler in the USA in 1977 while training under Coach Brad Glenn in Huntsville, Alabama
. Canales was ranked 25th in the world that very same year in the 100 Free. His triumphs brought him to the University of Michigan from 1977-1982. He excelled at the national and international level by winning All America Awards in each of his four years of competition. He earned a total of 13 Big Ten Championship titles. Canales was the first swimmer in Big Ten Conference history to capture an individual title (100 yds. Freestyle) during his four years of competition while training under Head Olympic Coach Gus Stager
and 1964 USA Olympian Bill Farley.
Canales was a 100 meter freestyle finalist in the 1978 World Championships
in West Berlin, Germany, earning a 5th place.--He was the "first" Puerto Rican swimmer to final in the World Championships along with Jesse "Cheyenne" Vassallo. He earned five gold medals and one silver medal during the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games
in Medellín, Colombia
. He became the first Puerto Rican to win an individual medal in the Pan American Games
by winning silver in the 100 meters free in 1979
(San Juan, Puerto Rico) and repeating that feat in 1983
(Caracas, Venezuela). He also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 meters medley relay in 1979.
Fernando became a National Champion while representing Club Wolverine in 1986, when he won the 4 x 100 meter free relay alongside three other Wolverines, Joe Parker
, Greg Varner and Dave Kerska. This was the fastest Club Relay in the World for that year. He won the 100 meter free gold medal during the Soviet Spartakiade National Championships in 1979. He won the 50 meter and 100 meter freestyle events during the Swedish and German World Cup events in 1983 and 1984. He won the Latin Cup in 1978, 1979 and 1981. He won sprint freestyle titles in Italy
, Canada
, Mexico
, Brazil
, Puerto Rico, The United States, Germany
, Sweden
, Dominican Republic
and Guadeloupe
.
Canales made three Olympic Teams: Montreal '76
, Moscow '80
and Los Angeles '84
). He was honored as the Flag bearer for the Puerto Rican Olympic Team during the 1984 Summer Olympics
Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Los Angeles, 1984. Canales, a 13 time Big Ten Champion and 4 year All-America at Michigan, is featured in the book "Paths to the Olympics - Maize and Blue to Olympic Gold" by Marc Parrish, Colemar press 1997.
He attributes his triumphs to the support of his mother, brothers and sister, the memory of his father, John Daly's tutelage, his teammates, and the wonderful coaches that helped him during his career: Kika, Julia, Mr. Tom Forte, Carlos Sala, Brad Glenn, Gus Stager, Bill Farley, Dick Kimball, Maggie Shook, Bob Bowman, Mona Nyheim and Jon Urbanchek. All of these coaches shared one thing in common: they participated in the Olympics or the Pan American Games, thus instilling the Olympic dream and the desire to rise above the rest of the competition from an early age.
Canales was inducted into the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame with the class of 1993 which also included internationally famous sports personalities: Orlando "Peruchin" Cepeda, Carlos "Charlie" Passarell, Raymond Dalmau, Amado Morales and Osvaldo Gil. In addition, he was also inducted into the City of Bayamon, P.R. Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Fernando is married to Mona Nyheim-Canales, a Norwegian National Swimming Champion and Arizona Wildcat, she is the Head Assistant Coach for Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor. They have two sons, Francisco Enrique Canales and Thor Bjorn Canales. Canales coached in Texas from 1992 to 2006 with the City of Richardson Swim team. He speaks five languages and has lived in Canada, Italy, Brasil, USA and Puerto Rico. He is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross.
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
swimmer from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and swimming coach. Up until the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he was the Head Assistant Coach for Men's Swimming & Diving at his Alma Mater, The University of Michigan, and also for the USA National Championship Team, Club Wolverine, home for numerous Olympic champions and medalists. He is a member of the USA Swimming
USA Swimming
USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams which officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the...
's International Relations Committee as well as the United States' technical representative for the Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas
Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas
The Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas is the swimming continental association for the Americas...
(ASUA/UANA). He is an Assistant Director of Development for The University of Michigan Athletic Department. He is currently the head coach at Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
. In his first season at Colgate, the Women's Team took home the 2011 Patriot League Championship, and the Men's Team finished the meet in fifth place.
His father is Francisco Canales Roman, from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico and his mother is Carmen Alvarez Canales, from Mexico City D.F. Fernando has two brothers (swimmer Francisco-Harvard '78 & Stanford '82; Harry Noel-Michigan '87) and one sister (Sandra Lee-CMU '88 & Grand Valley State '89). He graduated from Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola in 1977 and was honored for civic service and athletic achievements with the symbolic key to the City of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico in 1978.
He graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology of Exercise and a Bachelor of Arts in History and English from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. After his graduation he worked with legendary Olympic coaches Jon Urbanchek
Jon Urbanchek
Jon Urbanchek is an American swimming coach, best known for his 22-year tenure as the Men's Swimming & Diving Head Coach for the University of Michigan...
and Dick Kimball
Dick Kimball
Dick Kimball is an American former diving champion and diving coach at the University of Michigan. He was the NCAA springboard champion in 1957 and the Professional World Diving champion in 1963. He coached the University of Michigan diving team from 1958-2002 and also coached the U.S. Olympic...
from 1982 to 1987 and helped the Wolverines reclaim the Big Ten Championship Title after a 24 year drought in March 1986. Canales was the Head Swimming and Water Polo Coach at the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
from 1990 to 1992 where he also taught classes within the Physical Education Department.
He became a National Swimming Champion at an early age by becoming the top ranked 17 and under, 100 meter freestyler in the USA in 1977 while training under Coach Brad Glenn in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. Canales was ranked 25th in the world that very same year in the 100 Free. His triumphs brought him to the University of Michigan from 1977-1982. He excelled at the national and international level by winning All America Awards in each of his four years of competition. He earned a total of 13 Big Ten Championship titles. Canales was the first swimmer in Big Ten Conference history to capture an individual title (100 yds. Freestyle) during his four years of competition while training under Head Olympic Coach Gus Stager
Gus Stager
Augustus P. "Gus" Stager, Jr. was the swimming coach for the 1960 U.S. Olympic team and the swimming coach at the University of Michigan for 25 years . His Michigan swimming teams won four NCAA national championships in 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1961...
and 1964 USA Olympian Bill Farley.
Canales was a 100 meter freestyle finalist in the 1978 World Championships
1978 World Aquatics Championships
The 1978 World Aquatics Championships took place in West Berlin, West Germany between August 20 and August 28, 1978.-Medals table:-Diving:MenWomen-Swimming:MenWomen-Synchronised swimming:-Water polo:Men-External links:***...
in West Berlin, Germany, earning a 5th place.--He was the "first" Puerto Rican swimmer to final in the World Championships along with Jesse "Cheyenne" Vassallo. He earned five gold medals and one silver medal during the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games
1978 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 13th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Medellín, Colombia from July 7 to July 28, 1978 and included 2.605 athletes from eighteen nations.-References:...
in Medellín, Colombia
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. He became the first Puerto Rican to win an individual medal in the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
by winning silver in the 100 meters free in 1979
Swimming at the 1979 Pan American Games
The Swimming Tournament at the 1979 Pan American Games took place in the Piscina Olimpica del Escambron in San Juan, Puerto Rico from July 2 to July 8, 1979.-Men’s events:- Women's events :-References:* ***...
(San Juan, Puerto Rico) and repeating that feat in 1983
Swimming at the 1983 Pan American Games
The Swimming Tournament at the 1983 Pan American Games took place in Caracas, Venezuela from August 17 to August 22, 1983.-Men’s events:- Women’s events :-References:* ***...
(Caracas, Venezuela). He also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 meters medley relay in 1979.
Fernando became a National Champion while representing Club Wolverine in 1986, when he won the 4 x 100 meter free relay alongside three other Wolverines, Joe Parker
Joe Parker
Joe Parker is a South African stand-up comedian and promoter .Joe Parker is responsible for the long running comedy show Joe Parker's Comedy Express, as well as the Improv Express devoted to improvisational theatre....
, Greg Varner and Dave Kerska. This was the fastest Club Relay in the World for that year. He won the 100 meter free gold medal during the Soviet Spartakiade National Championships in 1979. He won the 50 meter and 100 meter freestyle events during the Swedish and German World Cup events in 1983 and 1984. He won the Latin Cup in 1978, 1979 and 1981. He won sprint freestyle titles in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Puerto Rico, The United States, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
.
Canales made three Olympic Teams: Montreal '76
Puerto Rico at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Puerto Rico competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. 80 competitors, 73 men and 7 women, took part in 74 events in 12 sports.- Bronze:* Orlando Montalvo — Boxing, Men's Light Flyweight -Archery:...
, Moscow '80
Puerto Rico at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Puerto Rico competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. Notably, the nation did not fully participate in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics...
and Los Angeles '84
Puerto Rico at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Puerto Rico competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. 51 competitors, 43 men and 8 women, took part in 45 events in 13 sports.- Silver:* Luis Ortiz — Boxing, Men's Lightweight- Bronze:...
). He was honored as the Flag bearer for the Puerto Rican Olympic Team during the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Los Angeles, 1984. Canales, a 13 time Big Ten Champion and 4 year All-America at Michigan, is featured in the book "Paths to the Olympics - Maize and Blue to Olympic Gold" by Marc Parrish, Colemar press 1997.
He attributes his triumphs to the support of his mother, brothers and sister, the memory of his father, John Daly's tutelage, his teammates, and the wonderful coaches that helped him during his career: Kika, Julia, Mr. Tom Forte, Carlos Sala, Brad Glenn, Gus Stager, Bill Farley, Dick Kimball, Maggie Shook, Bob Bowman, Mona Nyheim and Jon Urbanchek. All of these coaches shared one thing in common: they participated in the Olympics or the Pan American Games, thus instilling the Olympic dream and the desire to rise above the rest of the competition from an early age.
Canales was inducted into the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame with the class of 1993 which also included internationally famous sports personalities: Orlando "Peruchin" Cepeda, Carlos "Charlie" Passarell, Raymond Dalmau, Amado Morales and Osvaldo Gil. In addition, he was also inducted into the City of Bayamon, P.R. Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Fernando is married to Mona Nyheim-Canales, a Norwegian National Swimming Champion and Arizona Wildcat, she is the Head Assistant Coach for Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor. They have two sons, Francisco Enrique Canales and Thor Bjorn Canales. Canales coached in Texas from 1992 to 2006 with the City of Richardson Swim team. He speaks five languages and has lived in Canada, Italy, Brasil, USA and Puerto Rico. He is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross.