"I have been looking for the perfect trisuit for years without success...

So I decided to make it!"

Where it all started? 

It is early September of 2019. I am starting a new job in Paris where I just moved to. But after just three days at work, the CEO asked me whether I would go to Lima. I said: "why not?". I had lived in Latin America before, so, spending a few months in Peru should not be such a big deal. And cherry on the cake, it is the end of the triathlon season here. So, this will be like having some recovery days in the tropics, right? 😎

 

 

Not really... First, I had crazy working hours and second this happened... Right after landing in Lima, I reached out to a friend of a friend who happens to be a triathlete too. I thought: "nice, we will go for a run at some point". But as it happened, she was just coming back from the Ironman World Championship in Nice. All right, I thought, I might not be recovering that much here... After a week, I was registered in a local triathlon club and training with the national team.

 

Training for the Triathlon World Cup 

We were swimming by 5am in the Pacific Ocean before going to work, running like crazy at night and riding the whole weekend. Why? Because the ITU Triathlon World Cup was happening two months later in – wait for it – Lima! Ok, I was not going to rest that much... 😅

 

 

I had the very basic stuff to train with me and I would borrow the rest of the equipment for racing. But I still needed a trisuit... So, I decided to make my own customized trisuit for the race and this is where it all started. 

 

 Finding the right trisuit is a challenge

• First, they are not very appealing. You usually have the choice between a boring black & white piece of lycra, an advertising banner full of commercial logos or the "power-rangers one" with multicolor lightnings... 😏

• Second, they often miss key features. No back pockets for long distances, irritating stitching, lack of compression material, etc. 😕

• Thirdly, the quality of the material is crucial. If you race between 5 and 15 hours on long distances, you need to have something comfortable that allows for maximum flexibility, dries fast, brings aerodynamism and avoids skin irritation. 😔

• Finally, we all know triathlon is not a cheap hobby but the price of trisuits can sometimes be delirious. Some brands out there can charge up to USD 400. 😰

Building a family of athletes 

Since the end of 2019, I have been collecting feedback in the triathlon community until today. And now I am very pleased to present you OHANA, a triathlon apparel made by artists and engineers. 

 

 

I chose the name OHANA, as it means family in Hawaiian, for three main reasons:

• Having lived as an expat for several years, I always felt like endurance athletes were all part of one big family no matter on which continent I was. 🖤
•  Hawaii is a reference in the history of triathlon, but it is also where Ironman World Championship is hosted every year. 💪
• Hawaii is also the symbol of a lifestyle bringing together nature (kūlohelohe), wellbeing(pōmaikaʻi) and passion (aloha) which happen to be the essence of our sport too. 🌺