This year’s Trigirl ambassador Natasha made a name for herself in international rowing before she switched to triathlon in 2022. 

Natasha won two gold medals in the World University Games in Shanghai. She spent time in the GB rowing development squad at Leander Club where she won prestigious events including Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta.

Read here how her switch from rowing to triathlon went and what she has learned.

“After 11 great (and often, tough) years of rowing, I decided that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and that I had achieved as much as I could. Triathlon had always appealed, having watched it on TV and having enjoyed all 3 of the disciplines (even though I hadn’t swum in years).

My greatest strengths are my mental toughness and my endurance but I realised that I would need to re-train my muscles for triathlon. For me, even with a new sport, the desire to win is very strong so I have to take it seriously. So, switching from rowing to triathlon – where do I begin?”

Making the switch

It is quite daunting starting a new sport from scratch and on your own. In rowing, you are always part of a team or a club. You always have a physical coach for the team. That’s different with triathlon. You may find you have no triathlon club in your vicinity but you can still take up the sport. You can sign up to online coaching. You will find lots of training advice online. You can get by without a triathlon club. However, if you have one in your area, we do recommend to find out what they offer their members. (click here for British Triathlon club search).  

Rowing versus triathlon

Rowing is hard physically, in fact a total body workout, using most muscles in your body. Training involves time on the water or indoor rowing machines, backed by strength and conditioning. 

“I found training for three different disciplines a challenge. Having decided swimming was my greatest weakness, I started by working very hard at it and paid for a couple of lessons to teach me correct technique, and how not to waste energy, which is so important in a triathlon.”

My first triathlon

“I did my first standard distance triathlon at Eton Dorney Lake in Summer 2022 around two weeks after I stopped rowing. My greatest fears were crashing on my bike, as there were so many people. I was also worried about getting a stitch running. 

It was an incredibly hot day. The start line for the swim was 50 meters off-shore. As a comparatively new swimmer I found this exhausting so I tried not to think about the rest of the swim. 

My transition was good. I remembered to put my helmet on first, grabbed my snacks and put on my trainers (I hadn’t yet learnt to cycle in cleats). I really enjoyed the cycling and, fortunately encountered no crashes, as everyone was spread out. 

When I first got off the bike, I couldn’t feel my legs. They were so wobbly but I somehow made it to the transition area to rack my bike and put a cap on. I started running quite slowly. As my legs regained feeling, I managed to overtake people and sprinted the last 200m to overtake the girl ahead of me. I finished in 2nd place!”

Lessons learnt

“I learnt a lot from my first race. Triathlon is a long event, unlike a rowing race that can be over in 6-8 minutes. You have time to push yourself, yet you can conserve your energy at different points in the race. 

“While my swimming had greatly improved, it still needs more work. I found that drinking water rather than squash worked well for me. Also, pouring water over my head to keep cool helped me to cope with the heat. 

For a standard distance distance triathlon, I would recommend to eat a little in T1 or early on the bike. There is no need to eat later in the race. 

All in all I loved the race! I loved pushing myself. I love the excitement of finding out what  I will be able to do in triathlon, my new sport.”

Look out for our next blog soon to read how Natasha is getting on in her second triathlon season. Will she love her second season as much as her first stab? Can she replicate the success of her very first race?

If you have advice or questions for Natasha, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

A bit more about Natasha’s background

Natasha has always been keen on sport – gymnastics and running early on, leading to county cross-country in later years. Predictably as she lives in Henley-on-Thames, rowing came into her life at 15 at Upper Thames Rowing Club. She then had a successful rowing career at Newcastle University, winning multiple events including the Met Regatta and the British University Championships (BUCS). 

by Natasha Harris-White

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Read on to discover how Trigirl is doing its part to help protect and preserve our environment, and what YOU can to do become a more eco-friendly triathlete.

There is no denying it – what makes triathlon training and competing THAT much more amazing is swimming in our beautiful open waters, cycling through lush greenery and running in the fresh air. What other sport has this incredible luxury!

And whether you are a newbie to triathlons or a seasoned competitor, there is one quality that triathletes all have in common:

A love of the outdoors, and an appreciation for nature.

Thanks to this shared trait, each one of us should consider ourselves an eco-friendly triathlete. No matter what level of athleticism we possess, we cannot help but feel a desire to help protect and preserve our precious environment. And fortunately for us, we are joined by an increasing number of people all around the globe who share the same commitment.

The World has made progress..

And there is a lot to be pleased about. The world as a collective has made vast improvements in the area of environmental preservation over the last decade. Many sunscreens brands are no longer using the ingredient oxybenzone, which is responsible for the damage to coral and marine life. Plastic bag distribution is being phased out in stores around the globe. Reusable items such as straws, cups and bags are increasing in popularity.

Yet there is still more to be done..

Sadly, despite our best efforts to change our day to day behaviours, our oceans are still in severe danger. The recently-released Netflix film, Seaspiracy, is making waves all around the globe, highlighting the long-lasting negative impact of commercial fishing on the underwater environment. The environmental organisation Healthy Seas is also shining a harsh light on  the “ghost fishing phenomenon, which contributes to the unnecessary death of many marine animals.

This is not new news. For years environmentalists have been warning about the dire effects of global warming, overfishing and general neglect of the ocean’s health. Yet it often necessitates a movie release or severe natural disaster to bring these issues back to the forefront of peoples’ minds.

This is why we at Trigirl consider it an immense responsibility to keep these conversations going and to consistently make sustainable decisions … which includes our own Triathlon kit!

How Trigirl is helping our oceans

Did you know that since 2017 Trigirl has been using sustainable fabrics in its trisuits? In fact, Trigirl is the ONLY triathlon brand that has made this investment – and we are proud of it! 

We create our high performance, sustainable trisuits from ECONYL® nylon yarn –  an innovative fibre produced from consumer waste nylon products such as carpets and fishing nets. Read more about Trigirl’s Eco-friendly Trisuits and Commitment to Sustainability in our previous blog posts.

Yet we do not want to keep this a secret – we would love for all sports brands to embrace eco-friendly fabrics!

Why is ECONYL®  so special?

Where do we begin! For starters, Aquafil – this Italian-born company – created their very OWN supply chain! With the help of Healthy Seas and other organisations, Aquafil sends divers down into the ocean to pull up those discarded nets, which they transform into ECONYL®. What’s more, they are offering money to incentivise fishing vessels NOT to dump their nets in the first place.

And  for every 100 tons of ECONYL® raw material, a huge 700 barrels of crude oil is saved and 571 tonnes of CO2 emissions is avoided. The numbers truly speak for themselves!

What more can we do?

We strongly believe that even the smallest action is vitally important in the quest to save our oceans.  Every little bit counts. We look to inspire eco-friendly triathletes to choose sustainable trisuits made from ECONYL® fabric. Yet we also recognise the need to spread the word and encourage our peers to make eco-conscious choices.

Take a look at other ways you can be a more eco-friendly triathlete: 

• When selecting your triathlon equipment, consider ‘buy better to buy less’. High quality kit is likely to last longer. Besides, reduction is always better than recycling.
• Consider your next neoprene wetsuit purchase carefully. If possible, opt for a limestone- based material instead of the more commonly used petroleum-based materials. Zone3 is a great choice!
• And for when we can travel freely again – choose triathlon races closer to home to reduce your carbon footprint, OR choose one overseas race each season to minimise your air travel.

And here are some extra tips to share with your non-triathlete friends and family..

• Shop local and consume locally produced food and drink
• Avoid purchasing single-use plastics – bring your energy drinks or water in a reusable bottle
• Cut down on packaging by making your own power foods and using reusable containers
• Participate in local efforts to clean up the community’s outdoor spaces. You can sign up for local street, park and beach clean ups by checking out Clean Up Britain
• Get involved with environmental groups such as Healthy Seas or Sea Shepherd
• Educate yourself by watching films like the critically-acclaimed Seaspiracy

The eco-friendly triathlete

The oceans and lands are our playground. We rely on the great outdoors for our training grounds and competitions. And we need to look after it as carefully and lovingly as we do our own bodies. We need to keep conversations going. And where possible, we need to make conscious efforts to live sustainably. So that we and our loved ones can continue to enjoy the beautiful natural wonderland for many years to come.

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It is important that your triathlon wetsuit fits you well – not too tight and not too big. But what do you do, if your wetsuit size is not available? What if you are looking for a women’s larger sized triathlon wetsuit? And why are XXL women’s wetsuits so hard to find?

Since this appears to affect quite a few women, we have gathered a few tips on larger sized triathlon wetsuits for women. 

A good fit is key

A good wetsuit fit for open water swimming or triathlon is important because it will enable you to swim well (and fast) without giving you a feeling of restriction. If your wetsuit is too small, it can restrict your blood circulation causing your legs to cramp. If your wetsuit is too big, water can enter through the collar and cuffs and exit through your leg hem and back zip as you swim. This means new, cold water constantly flushes through and your suit will not keep you warm and you will get cold quickly. 

You want to swim, not surf

Surfing wetsuits are available in a much larger range of sizes (and usually at a lower price point too), and so you may be tempted to opt for a women’s surf wetsuit instead. However, a surfing wetsuit will not work. Open water swim wetsuits are designed to improve your body position when you swim front crawl. Buoyant and flexible neoprene panels are combined in a clever way to allow you to swim more efficiently. Generally speaking, the shoulder area features highly flexible neoprene to help your front crawl arm movement. The legs feature thicker neoprene to aid buoyancy. 

Neoprene thickness and properties are very different in a surfing wetsuit. Surfing wetsuits are predominantly designed to keep you warm as you stride atop the surfboard. Swimming wetsuits are designed to make you swim faster in the water. Insulation is less important as you constantly move while swimming.

The demand dilemma

Most respected brands like Zone3 for example, offer women’s specific wetsuits up to XL (UK16/18). Larger women’s sizes can be more difficult to find. The sport of open water swimming is still relatively new and demand for the XXL women’s sizes is small. Factories often expect a minimum order quantity in a size. There may simply be not enough demand in the bigger sizes to enable brands to meet the factories minimum order quantity.

Luckily the sport is growing quickly and with that in mind, we think there will be enough demand for larger sizes before long. 

Try a higher-quality suit?

Swim specific wetsuits come in a wide range of prices, starting from £150 for a novice suit up to £500 and more. Much of the price difference comes from the different neoprene quality the suit is made from. A higher grade, more expensive material is much softer and more flexible. That means, if you have tried the largest size of a brand’s entry level wetsuit and found it just a bit too tight, the slightly more expensive, more flexible mid-range wetsuit of the same brand could fit you.

Go for the man

If all fails, do try a men’s wetsuit. Of course, this is not ideal as men generally have longer torsos, wider shoulders and longer arms than women. However, you may find that a little bit of bunched-up sleeve length does not affect your swim performance all that much. 

By the way, do not be tempted to cut any extra length off. I once cut the leg cuffs of an old wetsuit to see if it would give me more room around the ankle. To my despair, a short cut in the neoprene did not stay a short cut. Each time I wore the suit, the cut ripped up longer and longer. I had to discard the entire suit soon after. My advice: if you end up buying a men’s wetsuit, find one that fits well enough as it is. Do not try to trim it!

Put it on correctly

Finally, putting your wetsuit on correctly is actually harder than you might think. If this is your first triathlon wetsuit purchase check out the following video. Even more experienced swimmers may not know about the advice given from minute 5:09 onwards. Pulling your wetsuit all the way up as described will make a big difference in feeling comfortable. This is even more important, if you have a men’s wetsuit that may have a longer torso: https://youtu.be/KXE7S9ub4jI

Conclusion

If you are struggling to find a women’s larger sized triathlon wetsuit, don’t despair. You are not alone. With the rise in popularity of open water swimming, larger female wetsuits will become available soon. In the meantime, you could try a higher quality neoprene material. Failing that, do try a men’s size. And make sure you are wearing it correctly.

Don’t let the wetsuit sizing issue stop you from experiencing the wonderful sport of triathlon and open water swimming. And don’t forget you can buy your gorgeous XL women’s trisuit from our webshop here: https://www.trigirl.com

Stay up to date with the lates Trigirl news. Following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

You may also be interested in our related article – Tips for Buying a Wetsuit for Triathlon. Read it here:
https://www.trigirl.co.uk/tri-kit/buying-a-wetsuit-for-triathlon/

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Diego’s gesture prompted a flood of support, a match of the 3rd prize money, and he has been hailed as a true sportsman by the media. So far so good. 

However, imagine my surprise when I listened to Anne Atkins on the BBC Thought for the Day yesterday. She said: 

When Diego let his rival pass, it was apparently the ultimate act of true sportsmanship. We have never heard of anything like it before, yet it is supposed to be all that sport is about.

I don’t think Anne’s doubts apply to triathlon. Anne defines ‘true sportsmanship’ as ‘fairness, kindness and a genuine sense of priority’. I feel this is what the sport of triathlon and what triathletes are about.

Do you remember when Alistair Brownlee carried his brother Jonny Brownlee over the finish line in the final of the 2016 World Triathlon Series? Leading the race in Mexico, with a kilometre to go, an exhausted Jonny stopped and began to stumble. Alistair caught up with him, pulled his brother to the finishing line, and pushed him forward so he could take the place before him. 

Another famous example happened at the Kona 2008 Ironman race. 80km into the bike leg of the race, Chrissie Wellington had a puncture. She managed to change her inner tube quickly, but then made a mistake trying to inflate it. She did not press either of her two CO2 cartridges down hard enough so the air did not go into the tyre. Triathlon rules do not allow for external help, but one of her rivals, Australian IM Champion Rebekah Keat stopped and gave Chrissie her own CO2 cartridge. Because help from inside the race is legal, Chrissie was able to get back on her bike, and went on to take first place in a spectacular race!

It is not just professional triathletes who show sportsmanship. Acts of kindness can be seen and felt in many races. My good friend ‘Irongran’ Eddie Brocklesby frequently reports of big crowds cheering her into the finish at full ironman distance races. Often fellow competitors and spectators have waited several hours just to cheer a 77 year old woman over the line. 

And it is not only at the big triathlon races where true sportsmanship is present. You feel it at most races, big or small, across the country. Last year I suffered from sudden cramps in a long distance swim down the river Adur. The river was extremely wide at this point. With no safety kayak in sight I was on the brink of panic when three fellow competitors slowed and stopped to offer me help. One of them stayed with me until my cramp had passed and I assured him I was fine.

Conclusion

Anne Atkins’ three minute ‘thought for the day’ is well worth listening to*. But I believe fairness and kindness makes triathlon special. It is why I am proud to be a triathlete.

I want to leave with another quote from Anne Atkins:

Generosity is not just reciprocal but infectious. One good deed often leading on to many more.

I would like to encourage you to share your own stories. Show others the true sportsmanship side of triathlon. And who knows maybe we can spore on many more acts of generosity and kindness.

What do you think?

Happy racing!

Trigirl Pat

*catch it on BBC Radio 4 – Thought for the Day 22nd September 2020, available for 30 days.

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Covid-19 has disrupted everyone’s 2020 triathlon training and racing agenda. Although most races are cancelled for this year, each separate discipline of triathlon has seen a surge in participation. Open water swimming is booming as a result of pool closures. Summer weather has also prompted people to look for social distanced exercise outdoors. When open water swim venues re-opened a few weeks ago, they have been swamped. 

So what wetsuit can you buy if you are on a budget?

The wetsuit experts from Zone3 are launching a new open water beginner wetsuit – the Valour. Offering a perfect mix of flexibility and buoyancy, at an affordable price, the Valour is ideal if you want to try open water swimming this summer. With an emphasis on comfort, the Valour offers some excellent features, usually only found in more expensive wetsuits. 

An innovative “Extreme Flex” inner-lining material gives excellent flexibility around the shoulders and arms for a comfortable and energy efficient swim. The low neckline and perfect fit, as well as fully stitched and glue bonded seams throughout, make it one of the best value entry level wetsuits available.

Check out the full product description and all features of the Valour here

Trigirl have been very lucky to get hold of a few of these very much anticipated entry level wetsuits for you. Available in the most popular sizes SM, M and L, you can pre-order the Valour (£169) from our website today for delivery mid of July. But be quick as stock is very limited and expected to sell quickly.

Enjoy your swim!

You may also be interested in our article Wetsuit Buying Tips here.

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