Past Races

Shannon Greene

Alexandria, Virginia | http://asprinklingofshannonanigans.blogspot.com/

Short version: I'm an elite age group triathlete and masters swimmer, and after racing in (and winning swims) in blueseventy wetsuits and tech suits for the last 7 years, I'm looking to continue my membership on the blueseventy team!

Long version: I've raced in blueseventy wetsuits since 2012, and the comparison with previous wetsuits is almost unfair. Coming from a competitive swimming background, and having a very long, loping stroke, I'd struggled since 2009 feeling like I was constantly fighting with my suit. My shoulders were low in the water, had limited range of motion, and tired easily. In fact, I loathed my full wetsuit so much that I only wore it when the water was below 60F, and instead elected to freeze my arms off in a sleeveless suit rather than experience that discomfort and unnatural stroke.

But when I switched to the Helix in 2012, my world changed. The forearm panels allowed me to feel the water, just as they promised to do. My quads felt light and buoyant in the water. And oh my goodness, my shoulder felt free! For the first time, open water swimming in a wetsuit felt like pool swimming. I have loved every race in which I've worn my beloved Helix.

After "finding" triathlon in 2009, I also began dabbling in Masters swimming. In the beginning it wasn't anything too serious. But then I moved to DC and joined one team (which fell apart after a year) and then last year joined Club Tribe 1693. Although most of the Club Tribe team are alumni of the College of William and Mary swim team, there are several of us who swam for other colleges, or even not at all. We have all been welcomed into the Club Tribe family. During the USMS Masters and Open Water seasons, I race in my NeroFit suit which was really my first tech suit since my trusty high school era Aquablade.

Holy moly! The NeroFit had surpassed all of my expectations. A struggle to get on at first yes, but once on it fits like a glove. It gives me compression where I need it, and flexibility in my back and shoulders where I need it most. I'm so proud to say that since joining Club Tribe, and racing in the NeroFit, I'm swimming lifetime bests in my 200, 500, and 1650 freestyle, and in my 200 butterfly. After partnering with blueseventy in 2017, I've since hit even faster times in the NeroTX and R10 suits.

My proudest moment as a Masters swimmer was becoming the W30-34 National Champion in the 200 butterfly at the 2018 USMS SCY Nationals meet in the R10 suit. I have never felt so fast, strong, and confident.

Given the amazing results that I've had with the Helix and the blueseventy race line, I absolutely cannot fathom going with another triathlon or swim company in the future. blueseventy just gets swimmers, plain and simple. And blueseventy gets results.