A Message from UANA Secretary Fernando Canales

Dear UANA Family:
 
I trust that you and your loved ones are doing very well; life is grand indeed!  We have had a busy and productive year so far and it only promises to get even better in the year of the Summer Olympic Games.
 
Our UANA President, Mr. Coaracy Nunes Filho, with the advise of the UANA Executive Committee has skillfully selected the technical personnel and liaisons who will guide our Continental Federation through the Toronto Pan American Games of 2015.  UANA is pleased to announce the UANA Technical Committees which will serve UANA throughout the 2011-2015 Quadrennial.
 
In making the announcement, President Coaracy Nunes Filho stated: "I am pleased to introduce these talented individuals committed to the guidance of our six disciplines in the continued development of the aquatics in the Americas.  These are extremely competent and dedicated individuals with the greatest experience in their respective aquatic discipline.  We are honored to be able to count on their service over the next 3 1/2 years."
 
As UANA Secretary, please allow me to extend my personal congratulations to each of the members of the UANA Technical Committees who have been appointed to these important positions.
 
President Coaracy Nunes Filho has scheduled a spring 2012 meeting of the UANA Executive Committee to be held in early May in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The President has extended invitations to the chairs of the 6 UANA Technical Committees to meet with the UANA Executive Committee on Saturday, May 12th at the headquarters of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.  We look forward to seeing our leadership team when they gather for the UANA Joint Executive Committee and Technical Committee Chairs meeting in Fort Lauderdale.
 
The South American Swimming Championships were an outstanding success and the water is still churning in Belem, Brasil. Congratulations to CONSANAT and its President, Sr. Francisco Javier Lopez, along with UANA President Mr. Coaracy Nunes Filho and the CBDA for hosting a world class event. The event was extremely exciting and we saw several athletes achieve their qualification standards for London 2012. In addition, I was very pleased to conduct a two tier clinic for swimming coaches during my stay in Brasil.
 
We were joined in Brasil by FINA President Don Julio Maglione who continues to remind us of the important relationship between UANA and FINA. President Maglione has served as the UANA President and he knows the intricate and strong relationships we share across our four Zones in the Americas.
 
UANA President Coaracy Nunes Filho and I had the opportunity to meet in Belem along with Dr. Margo Mountjoy, FINA Bureau member, to discuss many important matters relating to UANA. The UANA leadership team will work closely with FINA President Don Julio Maglione and Mr. Dale Neuburger, FINA Vice President for the Americas, as we further develop UANA's strong bond with FINA and the world of aquatics.
 
We extend our thanks to Honorary President Eldon Godfrey who represented us at the PASO and ACODEPA meetings in Mexico City. President Godfrey is a member of the Association of Pan American Sports Confederation and represents the aquatic family in this important body.  The meetings were very informative with regard to the very successful Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games, its financial components and how they relate to UANA. These meetings brought about a change in leadership for the 2012-2016 PASO Executive Committee as this organization prepares for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.
 
Your National Federation will soon have an opportunity to retain its "in good standing status" when you receive the Annual Dues Statement from UANA.  We greatly appreciate your cooperation in remitting your annual dues to UANA in a timely manner. You will receive detailed instructions on how to do it quickly and with ease by May 1st.
 
The Aquatics World including the talented athletes and coaches of our UANA family will convene in London this summer.  The Summer Olympic Games promise to be a spectacular event that will solidify UANA as one of the most accomplished Continental Federations across all disciplines. We look forward to a fantastic event full of drama, outstanding performances and perhaps world records.  We offer our best wishes to all participating athletes, coaches and officials from UANA.
 
It is an honor to address you and to serve UANA. Please continue to make the world a better place and have a glorious day along with those you love!
 
ciao,
 
Fernando J Canales
UANA Secretary/Treasurer
New York , USA