Introducing Rsport Athletic Wear Designed for Athenas

Have you ever dreamed of designing your own athletic wear? Having certain styles, bold colours and patterns that reflect your spirit, energy and body type? I have, since 2004 when I became involved in sports and there was very little athletic wear on the market for the plus size athlete.  Times are changing as we’ve seen existing brands offer or extend their lines into plus sizes, and new starts ups entering the market.  I don’t have the design and technical skills to create my own line, but I’ve always had a crystal clear vision of what I like and an understanding of what others are looking for from listening and talking to plus size women over the years..

So when C.J. Riggins reached out to me over a year ago to let me know that she was forming a new company designing athletic wear line for Athena athletes, and was looking for some consulting, I knew this was a great opportunity to get involved.   C.J. is no stranger to the athletic wear industry, having over 25 years of experience working for big brands including Adidas and Pearl Izumi.  As an athlete and designer, she possesses the knowledge and skills for making high quality athletic wear.  

But wanting to ensure she uncovered and captured the needs of the plus size athlete, we began a year long relationship that included numerous emails and Skype calls sharing insights on the plus size athletic wear industry, deep insights on what women want,  and help organizing a group of plus size athletes of various shapes and sizes, to be “testers” of her samples.  While I don’t own any equity in the company, I’m very proud and honoured to have been involved to such an extent and to partner with RSport as we share the same values and beliefs.
So, I am pleased to share that on March 31st, C.J. launched her Athena athletic wear company, Rsport at the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago and officially became a sponsored partner of Born to Reign Athletics.

And that's a wrap!! Shamrock Shuffle was a success! Thank you to all the Athenas who came out and saw us!! The journey continues to Clearwater, FL for Irongirl! ?

A post shared by Rsportlife (@rsport_life) on Apr 1, 2017 at 4:48pm PDT

Their Vision

Rsport is the Athena multisport apparel brand designed, built and wear tested specifically for athletes sizes L – 6X. With built in design features and permanent textile technology that enhance product and athlete performance, we help athletes go longer so they can truly enjoy their chosen activities.  She deserves it.

The Secret Sauce

The “Secret Sauce” in the Rsport collection is made up various ingredients including sizes up to 6X (which is unheard of), 37.5 technology that keeps the clothing super lightweight and stink-free, high performance Italian fabrics that meet the top 2 levels of resistance testing, soft thread that is durable and flexible to move with you, full frontal abrasion resistance panels to avoid chafing, flatlock stitching and modular designs so that you can build upon your pieces.  Already in the works is a tri suit and being able to add a shamois to convert your capris into cycling capris.

Starting up a new company is risky business for anyone.  But C.J. and her team are extremely passionate and you can hear her talk more about why she created Rsport while we get all nerdy diving into the technical details of the “secret sauce”, in our upcoming Plus Performance podcast on April 20th.   Having worn a lot of athletic wear these past 13 years, the technical details make a HUGE difference.  This brand is fully committed to giving Athena athletes the best athletic wear, by continuing to listen and test constantly with Athenas around the world.

We firmly believe black shouldn’t be an Athena’s only choice to represent who she is and have brought strong, vibrant options to help her express herself.   - C.J. Riggins

Photo credit: RSport.com | Left: “Stripes” top with Black capri; Right: Magenta top with “Broken Angles” capri

 If I feel like I look good, I will feel strong, then I am more likely, to get out and bust a move through that first mile and keep moving on - C.J. Riggins

Photo credit: RSport.com | Left: White long sleeve top with “Organic” capri; Right: Magenta long sleeve top with “Stripes” capri.

Designed for the beginner to the elite athlete - C.J. Riggins

Photo credit: RSport.com | Left: “Broken Angles” top with “Grey/Broken Angles” capri; Right: “Organic” tank with Black capri

Which items would you like in your gym bag? Remember to use our time-limited promo code “Reign4Roar” up until April 30th to get 10% off.

About the Author:

Krista is the Founder of Born to Reign Athletics, a website dedicated to motivating, educating and celebrating plus size women who unleash their inner athlete as a means of living a healthy life.  She is an award-winning multi-sport athlete in triathlon and indoor rowing, and is recognized as a global leader in plus size fitness and athletics.

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