Industry News: AquaVee Partners with Triathlete and Ironman Felipe Bastos

MIAMI, Florida, October 10. MAKERS of the swim training system AquaVee announced its official partnership with world-class professional triathlete and Ironman, Felipe Bastos. Bastos, who has already notched 27 events and posted podium finishes in 50 more during his young career. Bastos trains with the AquaVee swim system to maximize his swim workouts and allow himself the versatility to train in any pool. Swimming is Bastos' strength in triathlons, making his partnership with AquaVee a natural choice.

At 26, Felipe Bastos is the youngest person ever to win the Central Florida Triathlon Series and is the course record-holder in both the prestigious Beast of the East half-ironman at Hayesville, NC and the Tupelo King of the Hill Triathlon. This year, Bastos won the Tri-Gator Sprint Triathlon, finished 20th among professionals at the Louisville Ironman (7th in the swim portion) and, on September 30th 2007, set an overall course record at the Lake Weiss Triathlon in Cedar Bluff, AL.

A native of Brazil who lives and trains in Gainesville, FL, Bastos ran his very first triathlon at the Brazil Junior Championships in 1996, finishing 3rd. He founded and continues to support the Triathlon Club of Brazil (TriBHo) and is an active member of the University of Florida Triathlon club (Tri-Gators), the Central Florida Triathletes, and the Gulf Coast Triathletes. In 2004, he was a member of the renowned Timex Multi-Sport Team, and in 2005 was named TriGeekDreams.com's "Tri-God" of the year. His dedication to excellence and his substantial track record of success prompted AquaVee to offer him sponsorship for the 2007-2008 season. For his part, Bastos finds the AquaVee system extremely beneficial to his training regimen, and was thrilled to accept AquaVee's support of his competitive endeavors.

The AquaVee swim system – which was developed by an ex-competitive swimmer – consists of an inflatable belt worn around the waist and attached to the sides of any pool via a system of latex resistance bands and suction cups. Resistance can be adjusted according to fitness level and training requirements. Incredibly easy to set up, AquaVee's system is a simply, yet highly effective training tool for top athletes, such as Felipe Bastos. "I love the idea of the inflatable belt, it really makes the feeling of swimming a lot more "real", giving the athlete a great feel for the water. I find this feel for the water the most important aspect of any workout, so I am glad the AquaVee was able to provide that" stated Bastos.

The AquaVee has, at its conceptual core, twin virtues of versatility and utility. The swim-in-place design allows the swimmer to vary the length and intensity their workout without consideration for constraints of venue, there pool size is no longer a concern. And for a triathlete training for swim distances of half-a-mile to 2.4 miles or more, this is of paramount importance. The system's compact size and durability also makes it easy to use virtually anywhere. Says Bastos, "I swam as fast and hard as I could after the session was over, in order to try ripping AquaVee's suction cups out of the wall. Although I tried it as much as I could, they stayed put, which I was extremely happy about. I can definitely see myself alternating between open water and using the AquaVee in the nearby pool, which is so very convenient for me. Like myself, I tested the product to its limits, and it won!"

AquaVee is thrilled to have Felipe Bastos representing their product. The relatively young company, based in Miami, Florida and founded by former competitive swimmers, sees the involvement of an internationally recognized athlete as a natural extension of their quality brand. "We were looking for an accomplished triathlete that is well known internationally, that would train with the Aquavee on a consistent basis, and we found just who we were looking for in Felipe Bastos," explains Eliot Rodriguez of AquaVee.

"We are confident this will be a start of a great business partnership."

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