Outfitter caters to swimmers, triathletes.
By: Gwen McNamara
With three competitive swimmers in the family, the Fieldses know just how hard it can be to find quality swimming gear in this area.
"Most people have to drive an hour away or order online to find the items they need," said Edward Fields, a former triathlete and father of Princeton X-Cel Swimming stars Alex, 11, Adam, 9, and Andrew, 7. "It’s just not convenient. Online might be a little easier, but there’s no customer service. You can’t try on the suits and if they don’t fit there’s the hassle of returning, dealing with shipping, etc.
"And the swimming industry is growing incredibly," he continued. "We’re at meets where there are literally thousands of kids. This area has such great talent, but not the resources to serve it."
Recognizing this need, Mr. Fields and his wife Deanna have decided to open a new store dedicated solely to swimming and triathletes.
On July 15, Amphibia Swim & Triathlon Wear, Inc. will open in the former Bike Zone shop in the Princeton North Shopping Center, a few doors down from the Princeton Fitness and Wellness Center in Montgomery.
The Fieldses, who currently live in Allentown, will be moving to the area soon and are in the process of renovating the 2,000-square-foot store while finalizing plans with a number of vendors.
"We plan to have something for everyone, from the novice to the experienced swimmer or serious triathlete," Ms. Fields said.
Already the store is set to carry TYR swimwear and products from AquaSphere, including a snorkel with radio mouthpiece, as well as Oakley sunglasses, Polar heart monitors and items from Quintana Roo not to mention a wide offering of vitamin supplements and nutrition bars.
"We want to have cutting-edge merchandise," Mr. Fields added. "Get into brands no one’s heard of yet or give the little guys a place to start out."
With a background in fashion design, Mr. Fields has an eye for picking great merchandise and with three boys passionate about swimming, the Fieldses are confident they know what swimmers are looking for.
"Ed was a clothing designer for Liz Claiborne in New York for 15 years," Ms. Fields said. "With his great background in clothing and our experience at the pool we’ll be able to pick out the best merchandise."
The ultimate goal for the store is to become a haven for swimmers and triathletes.
"We want to do more than be successful financially," Mr. Fields said.
"We want to create a sense of community and plan on creating a wall of fame, where we can display local athletes’ accomplishments," Ms. Fields said. "We’ll also have a community brochure section featuring upcoming events and we’ll have a TV monitor going with instructional and other videos for sale.
"We’ve just lived an active healthy lifestyle for many years and want others to experience that too," she continued.
The Fieldses expect their location, next door to the Princeton Fitness and Wellness Center, is a perfect spot.
"The Wellness Center does all kinds of rehabilitation and aerobic exercise in the water," Ms. Fields said. "There’s great opportunity to partner there."
"Plus we are centrally located with all the great school and private competitive teams," Mr. Fields added. "All the coaches we’ve talked to are excited, as are many of our friends and fellow swimmers. We’ve got a lot of support and we know there’s a lot of interest out there to tap into."
The Fieldses are also looking to partner with area bicycle shops.
"By teaming up, we can not only get the word out about our store having what triathletes want, but we also direct more business to those bike stores," Mr. Fields said.
After the store opens, Ms. Fields expects to continue to work at her current business. She is a massage therapist and owns the Princeton Center for Massage Arts on Nassau Street, where she serves a number of clients including athletes on Princeton University’s swimming, track and cross country teams.
"We’ve had to make some difficult decisions, but we are so excited about starting this new adventure," she said.
"Being at the pool 24/7, this was just a natural choice for us," added Mr. Fields. "It’s rare when everything comes together in your life, but this is really it."
For more information about Amphibia, call (609) 743-0060.