[3] He participated in a variety of sports, and having shown promise by the age of 15, began swimming for the nationally recognized Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC), managed by legendary Hall of Fame Coach Peter Daland.

[2] In late August 1962, swimming for the Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC), Farley placed fourth in the 400-meter freestyle in a Far Western Competition at the Foothill College Pool in Los Altos Hill, California, South of San Francisco, in 4:29.6, helping to lead LAAC to a team victory.

World record holder in the 200-meter butterfly, Sharon Finneran, and 1960 Swimming Olympian Donna DeVarona, were participants.

[4] Competing against the nation's best at 17, on July 28, 1962, Farley finished third in what would become his signature event, the 1500-meter free, in 18:06.3, at the Los Angeles Invitational behind first-place fellow LAAC swimmer and 4-time Olympic Gold medalist Murray Rose, the 1956 Olympic Gold Medal winner in the event.

[5] At 18 in 1963, Farley finished fourth at the Pan American Games in his signature event, the 1500-meter freestyle, in Brasilia, Brazil.

He later took a second in the 1,650 to team mate and Olympian Carl Robie[7] Farley was named as an All American in 1964, 1965, and 1966, and graduated from the University of Michigan around 1967.

[1] In 1974, he led Princeton swimming to an 8-4 dual meet record with strong assistance by diver Billy Heinz and distance swimmer Joe Loughran who led the team in scoring that year, and helped the Tigers place 13th at the NCAA Championships in Long Beach, California.

[10] While coaching the Princeton Men's Varsity from 1970–79, he led the Tigers to six consecutive Eastern Seaboard Championships, as well as five titles in the Ivy League Conference.

Among his best-known swimmers was NCAA Champion, and 1971 Pan American Games Gold Medal Winner Charlie Campbell of the class of 1973.

[2] While coaching at Michigan from 1979-1981, he mentored 1980 Olympic hopeful Fernando Canales of Puerto Rico, one of his more exceptional swimmers.

In 1978, Canales won five gold medals in the Central American Championships, and set records in the 100 and 200-meter freestyle while at Michigan.