SPECIAL DELIVERY

For most athletes in Athletics (Track and Field), Christmas may come a few times in a given year. These can be the arrival dates of our apparel shipments from our sponsors. While I am sponsored by Visa, my apparel & eyewear sponsors are Mizuno and Oakley.

It never fails! After all these years, my friends and I still get excited to receive our shipments. We’re curious to see the styles and colours for the coming season and how everything will fit. Obviously, Oakley shipment days are a lot of fun for me; however, unlike my friends, I’m often nervous with my apparel shipments.

I’m a healthy 1.92m in height (6’3 ½) with legs 50 ½ inches (126cm) and a waist 26 inches. So, having clothes fit me properly can be a problem. Essentially, I require my leggings and sleeved shirts to be long but also small in width. (I give size small another meaning.)

Mizuno, a Japanese company, uses OX, O, XO, XXO sizing chart (clearly, different from Canadian sizes). As a recent Mizuno athlete it has taken me some time to figure out where my body frame fits into their chart. Moreover, my Mizuno comes directly from Japan, not Canada, so correct sizing is even more critical. Determined, to figure out my appropriate sizes, while in Beijing, Mizuno methodically went through various clothes to determine my size. But, I still had some concerns – seriously, how does any small size fit my long limbs?

This week when my shipment arrived, I nervously opened my box. I wondered the torment it would unveil. Would I open it to find a lot of wonderful things unable to fit my unique body frame? Would I be wearing high water flood pants or Capri- length sleeved shirts? Incredible, to my dismay, everything fit! Right down to my winter jacket! In the history of receiving apparel shipment (from any company), this was a FIRST! Could I be dreaming! JACKPOT! I don’t know how they did it, but they did. Mizuno figured out my sizing for everything.

Just my size,

Nicole