Fernando J. Canales (born on November 2, 1959)

His father is Francisco Canales Roman and his mother is Carmen Alvarez Canales. Fernando has two brothers and one sister. He graduated from Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola in 1977 and was honored with the symbolic key to the city of Guaynabo in 1978. He was the Head Water Polo and Swimming Coach at the University of California-Santa Cruz from 1990 to 1992. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology of Exercise and a Bachelor of Arts in History from The University of Michigan in 1982. He was the Head Assistant Swimming Coach at his alma mater from 1982 to 1987.

He is currently a member of the USA Swimming International Relations Committee and he is the United States technical representative for the Amateur Swimming Union of The Americas (ASUA/UANA)and the Head Coach for the Keller Swim Team in Texas.

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 and he was ranked 25th in the world that same year. His triumphs brought him to The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor from 1977 to 1982. He excelled at the National level by winning All America Awards in each of his four years of competition. He earned a total of 13 Big Ten Championship titles. After his graduation he worked with Olympic Coach Jon Urbanchek from 1982 to 1987 and helped the Wolverines reclaim the Big Ten Championship Title in 1986.

Fernando was a 100 meter freestyle finalist in the 1978 Berlin World Championships, earning a 5th place. He was the "first" Puerto Rican swimmer to final in the World Championships. He earned 5 gold medals and 1 silver medal during the 1978 Central American Championships in Medellin, Colombia. He became the first Puerto Rican to 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 USA National Champion in 1986 when he won the 4 x 100 meter free relay alongside 3 other Wolverines. This was the fastest Club Relay in the World 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 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 Titles in Italy, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico,The United States and Guadalupe.

Fernando made 3 Olympic Teams (Montreal '76, Moscow '80 , Los Angeles '84). He was honored as the Flag bearer for the Puerto Rican Olympic Team during the 1984 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Los Angeles. He is featured and has his own chapter in the book "Paths to the Olympics - Maize and Blue to Olympic Gold" by Marc Parrish, Colemar press 1997.

Fernando was inducted into the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame with the class of 1993 which also included: Orlando Cepeda, Carlos "Charlie" Passarell, Raymond Dalmau, Amado Morales and Osvaldo Gil.

Fernando is married to Mona Nyheim-Canales, a Norwegian National swimming champion and the Women's Head Coach at The University of North Texas. They have 3 sons, Francisco Enrique Canales, Thor Bjorn Canales and Jordan Rafael Canales. He is currently the Head Coach for the Keller Swim Team. He has coached in the Great State of Texas for the last 13 years.