Sept 2017 

A female firefighter who is also a world-class champion athlete has praised the performance of the Xenon structural fire and rescue garments launched last year by Ballyclare Limited. Before becoming the 2013 World CrossFit Games champion, athlete Sam Briggs worked as a firefighter with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and so was keen to take up the challenge of completing a tough CrossFit workout while wearing Xenon fire kit.

“Sam was dubbed ‘the fittest woman on earth’ when she won in 2013 and she’s continued to perform really well since then, so she seemed like to perfect person to put our Xenon kit to the test,” explains Ballyclare’s Fire & Technical Director, Richard Ballheimer.

“We designed the Xenon garments after gathering a huge amount of feedback from firefighters,” adds Richard. “They feature the lightweight and breathable GORE® PARALLON® System, and this was the key to creating garments which provide the wearer with maximum comfort and freedom of movement while still delivering the outstanding thermal protection.  CrossFit is a very demanding strength and conditioning program, so we knew it would present Sam with a particularly challenging prospect and we wanted to see how she reacted to the Xenon kit when she did the exercises.”

Sam Briggs

While wearing the Xenon garments Sam tackled a range of different CrossFit exercises, such as muscle-ups and rope climbs, which she had chosen herself to replicate some of the day-to-day activities that firefighters perform when responding to incidents.  The results of her workout were impressive, with Sam praising the way the Xenon kit was able to move with her body and allow her tremendous freedom of movement.

“In the video of the workout Sam comments she was happy doing the various exercises in the Xenon kit. The breathability which it provides also meant she didn’t feel the need to take it off immediately after she finished,” add Richard. “We feel there’s no higher praise than that. With the Xenon kit, we set out to design garments that were more than fit for duty, and Sam’s workout certainly seems to indicate we achieved that aim.”

A movie of Sam’s xenon workout achieved over 122,000 views within just 10 days of its release. It can be seen at ballyclarelimited.com/xenonfitforduty

For more information on Ballyclare, either visit www.ballyclarelimited.com, call +44 (0)844 493 2808, email info@ballyclarelimited.com or follow @BallyclareLtd on Twitter.

About Ballyclare Limited

Ballyclare Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and distributor of high quality, functional workwear, protective clothing and specialist PPE. The company has been keeping workers safe and comfortable for well over 100 years – building a reputation as one of the UK’s leading workwear and protective clothing suppliers. It is a trusted producer of structural and specialist firefighting kit and protective clothing for the emergency services and armed forces, as well as supplying managed services which encompass garment supply, leasing, repair and laundering.