"But when I came to Harvard," Canales said, "I became a dual-meet swimmer. The Quincy House resident said he stopped being so concerned with his times and finishes and worried more about what he had to do to help the team triumph.

Crowd Naps, Canales Swims

Canales swims the non-glamorous long-distance events, those in which spectators pay little attention to the pool until the referee's gun awakens them to declare the beginning of the final lap. But Canales is a master of those distance battles, the fight against what he said is your body's "desire to just quit."

Canales is Harvard's top distance swimmer, and in Rome, he will swim the 400-meter individual medley, the mile, and two relays.

The road to victory in these long events is not an easy one, Canales said. At Harvard he swims about 7000 yards a day, boosting that level to 12,000-13,000 a day during his training in Puerto Rico over the Christmas vacation.

"Sometimes I don't know why I just continue to go back and forth in the pool," he said, "but in retrospect, I can honestly say that I have gotten a great deal out of swimming."

"An experience like the Olympics is a good example of what I have gained from swimming." Canales explained. He said he found it hard to believe he was in Montreal, "with the best athletes in the world. The kids would see you in a sweatsuit and come running for your autograph. You just had to be there to believe it all."

This week in Rome, Canales will again be mingling with some of the stars of the international swimming world. In his first Latin Cup he is unsure what his fate will be. "If I win a medal, I will be very happy," he said.

If not, the international competition will still be another valuable addition to Canales's swimming career.

What can you say about a Harvard freshman who has been swimming for only two and one-half years but has already competed in the Olympics, Latin Cup and Pan American games?

Basically, you can't say enough, but you must admit that the accomplishments are incredible, unbelievable, remarkable, astounding...

Jane Fayer

Well, regardless of what adjective you choose, Jane Fayer deserves high praise for accomplishing these feats. She will be leaving for Rome tomorrow to compete in the 1977 Latin Cup Swim Meet, representing her home nation, Puerto Rico, and this year she thinks she has a shot at a medal. In the meet, she will swim in the 100-meter freestyle and as a member of two relay teams.

"If I do my best times," Fayer said yesterday, "I should be in the middle or top of the 100-meter freestyle."

To accomplish what Fayer has, most people would have needed many more years of training. However, the Grays Hall resident is one of those fortunate owners of sprawling natural talent. But that talent had to be developed. Fayer said her first coach, the head of a club team in Puerto Rico, began fine-tuning her ability by starting her in competitive swimming. "He motivated me to take swimming seriously by telling me that I had a chance to go places and do really well."