This week sees the launch of the much-anticipated sports recovery device, firefly. To celebrate its launch, British professional triathlete and six time Ironman 70.3 champion, Emma-Kate Lidbury has confirmed that she is joining the firefly team as a brand ambassador.
Specialising in Ironman 70.3 distance racing, juggling 30 hours of training per week and balancing demanding travel schedules, Emma-Kate understands the difficulty athletes face with active recovery. Not only that but to be at the top of her game, Emma-Kate must perform the most efficient recovery strategy to gain competitive advantage over her peers.
Emma-Kate says of the partnership, “I am continually amazed by the way in which firefly accelerates the recovery process for me. As a professional triathlete training over 30 hours a week, recovery between training sessions is of great importance. I travel extensively and need to be able to recover quickly from one race to the next, whilst on the move.
“I have found that incorporating firefly into my recovery regime significantly helps with all aspects of training, performance and lifestyle. It was a key part of my recovery routine when racing two Ironman 70.3 races one week apart in June 2013; I finished second at Ironman 70.3 Raleigh in North Carolina and then a week later won Ironman 70.3 Kansas. Lots of travel, lots of racing, lots of recovery, lots of firefly!”
Reported to be capable of reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) within 24 hours, the firefly device increases lower limb blood circulation for the accelerated removal of metabolic waste immediately after high-exertion exercise.
The size of a wrist-watch and worn behind the knee, the firefly device delivers painless electrical impulses to the common peroneal nerve to activate the muscle pumps of the lower leg that return blood towards the heart.
The firefly device is endorsed by Dr Scott Drawer, Head of Research & Innovation at UK Sport. He said “The physiological effects, portability and ease of use of the firefly device provides an additional approach to effectively managing the stresses of being a competitive athlete.”
Highlights of Emma-Kate’s career so far include winning Ironman 70.3 Kansas and Texas (2013), Ironman 70.3 Mallorca (2012 and 2011), Ironman 70.3 UK and Ironman 70.3 Augusta (both 2011). Emma-Kate achieved top 10 finishes at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in both 2010 and 2011 and is widely regarded as an up and coming talent with a bright future in triathlon.
After taking up the sport in 2005, Emma-Kate raced as an age grouper until 2009. During this time she won medals at the World Age Group Championships in Hamburg in 2007 and Vancouver in 2008 as well as the overall European Age Group title in 2008.
With a first class honours degree in English and Sports Science from Loughborough University, Emma-Kate also has a post-graduate diploma in journalism from Cardiff University. She is a qualified, experienced journalist who continues to write for magazines and websites in the UK and the US.
Emma-Kate joins fellow Ironman, Nick Baldwin and pro-triathlete Vicky Holland on the firefly ambassador team.
The firefly device is now available to purchase at www.fireflyrecovery.com. Introductory offers are as follows:
- 1 pair: £20 (RRP £30)
- 1 pair + knee strap: £35 (RRP £55)
- 4 pairs: £80 (RRP £100)
- 4 pairs + knee straps: £95 (RRP £125)
- 1 pair knee straps: £25
The company behind the firefly device – Firstkind is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sky Medical Technology, a privately held UK company based in High Wycombe and Daresbury. Firstkind manufactures medical devices utilising OnPulse, Sky Medical’s proprietary neuromuscular electro-stimulation technology, designed to enhances the body’s own circulation to increase lower limb blood circulation.
Seen as an all-round British success story, the firefly device has been developed, manufactured and brought to market by Firstkind, following a three year programme of applied research with St Bartholomew’s Hospital and Queen Mary, University of London and published clinical studies conducted by Loughborough University.
According to Firstkind, placing a topically applied, electrical stimulus in the lower leg to mimic the blood flow rates of walking is game-changing. The OnPulse technology leverages a deep understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the human body, biomedical engineering and isometric neuromuscular stimulation.
