WILFRED S. ARZAGA worked with the Ontario Ministry of Education, Information Technology and Systems Branch in Canada as a Systems Officer (1974-2001). He worked and engaged in a wide number of projects that involved computer systems and structuring with programmers, systems analysts, and software developers in implementing new projects for the ministry, boards of education, and the different schools- public, catholic, and private in the province of Ontario. He developed the systems for security and the day-to-day operating policies in running the computer system in the ministry.

The Philippine Amateur Swimming Association in 1963 formed a national training group of swimmers, in which Fred was in as a swimmer, in preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. He was part of the coaching staff in 1970 preparing the national team for the Asian Games where his sister, Marilu, excelled and won a bronze medal for our country. She was the Philippine record holder in the 100 meter and 200 meter backstroke and Nestor, who swam for the Philippines in the Singapore Pesta Sukan Championships under Fred’s tutelage. In 1977, Nestor went together with the Philippine National Team in Long Beach, California to train under Don Gambril in preparation for the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. He went on to volunteer work with PASA as meet official in most PASA sanctioned meets and managed the Philippine Columbian Association in 1971 until he left for Canada in 1974. He attended several mentorship of U.S. coaches Don Gambril, Dick Hannula, George Haines, Dr. Jim Counsilman and Australian coaches John Gregory and Don Talbot under the “Coach-the Coaches’ Program”

In 1981, Fred started the CREST SWIMMING, a registered competitive swim club in Canada. It is a non-profit club opens to all. It provides the youth and young adults with the opportunity to train and develop competitive swimmers at the highest level of excellence. With the cultural diversity of the community, Fred is able to help, support, and promote swimming among new immigrant swimmers and swim coaches. He provides free assistance to immigrants who are having difficulties in their immigration affairs with the help of elected officials in the community and reputable immigration lawyers. As the head coach of his swim team, he is very active in community work and committed to several local causes and organizations including fundraising efforts for the swim club and other organizations in the community. In 1993 and at the present time, Fred pursued, developed and produced Provincial and National Age Group champions and record breakers, senior swimmers that made U.S. Open, Canadian Nationals, Olympic Trials leading them to the World Cup and World Championship and led the team to the Division II and Division I Team Championships and coached the Ontario Tour Team in several high level competitions in the U.S.A.  In 1996, he was awarded the Coach of the Year Award in the province of Ontario. Fred’s enthusiasm to coach in swimming made him to continue learning and update himself by attending numerous ASCA and CSCTA seminars and conferences with notable coaches such as Eddie Reese, Dr. David Salo, Dr. Ernest Maglischo, Jim Fowlie, Dr. Jeno Tihanyi, Pierre Lefontaine,

and Jan Olbrecht.

His Canadian success in coaching put him in the forefront of Philippine swimming through the invitation of the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association’s President Mark P. Joseph to hold swimming clinics and seminars that started in 2005. It is an ongoing process to provide education and mentorship to Philippine swimming coaches. PASA appointed him to head coach the Philippine team in the Pan Pacific Championships held in Victoria (British Columbia), Canada September, 2006 and continued to co-coach, with the Philippines’ High Performance Coach Carlos Singson Brosas, the National Team for the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

In September, 2007, Coach Fred attended the FINA International Coaches Conference and Workshops certified by FINA President Mustapha Larfaoui held in Toronto (Ontario), Canada coordinated by Bill Sweetenham, Pierre Lafontaine, and Istvan Balyi and awarded by the Canadian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association and Speedo with the Domestic Excellence Award for coaching one or more swimmers to a National Championships in December, 2007.