Written by: Chloe Redmond, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Whitney Dosty is a Paralympic Gold Medalist, Lead Designer and CEO of Wavelength Swimwear, and clothing stylist with a boutique edge. When not on the volleyball court with her USA Women’s National Sitting Volleyball Team, Dosty is traveling, heading up fashion trends with her swimsuit line, and finding creative passion in everything she pursues. Dosty’s swimsuits are found here, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @WhitneyDosty. For press inquiries, contact Chloe Redmond by email.
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better (current titles, place of residence, current professional status, etc).
My name is Whitney Dosty. I am a member of the USA Women’s National Sitting Volleyball Team. I am from Tucson Arizona, and I am the founder of Wavelength Swimwear; I design swimsuits for women with longer torsos.
Tell us about your love for the sport of volleyball. At what age did you start playing and where? Give us a glimpse into the early years of volleyball.
I started playing volleyball in my junior year of high school. I played in Tucson, Arizona at Salpoint Catholic high school. I was on a club team when I was 12 but was still very much invested in my ballet career. It was until I was 16 or 17 that I truly became serious about the sport.
When did you decide to take your passion for Volleyball to a professional level? What went into making that decision for you? What was the first professional team that you played with?
Once I got to college and saw the potential that I had to take my volleyball career beyond the collegiate level. I always knew I wanted to be a professional athlete. My first professional experience was in Puerto Rico with team Toa Baja
Please give us just the bullet points of your injury. What year did it happen + the injury details?
My 2014 injury occurred while playing in Turkey.
The initial injury was an ankle dislocation which resulted in emergency surgery in Turkey.
I have had a total of 3 surgeries on it along with a series of cortisone shots. My last surgery was an ankle fusion, and it’s the best decision that I have made.
What was the recovery time like for you? Did you have a fire in your soul pointing you in the direction to carry on with volleyball? Explain and verify what this transition looked like.
Recovering from my ankle injury was a lot of work. It was many months of physical therapy and resulted in a total of 3 ankle surgeries. I don’t think recovering from an injury is ever fast enough for an athlete, but for me, it was a good time to take a step back and reflect on what my next steps might be. After my first two ankle surgeries, I could see that the process wasn’t as simple as I had hoped (get injured, have surgery, do physical therapy, return to volleyball). I took recovery day by day and in the meantime began feeding into my creative side. During my recovery is when I began a fashion blog that later fed into my creation of Wavelength Swimwear. Without my ankle injury, I would have never had enough time to pursue my fashion ventures.
The downtime from indoor volleyball was difficult but I always felt like I would return to the game. The recovery time allowed me to pursue another passion and helped me find sitting volleyball.
You are a Gold Medal recipient! Tell us briefly about this time and what this experience was like for you.
Winning a Gold Medal has been a lifelong dream. When I look back on all of the sports I have played and all of the moments that have felt so special in my career, and the recovery from injuries- it just makes winning a Gold Medal that much more rewarding …to know that I have always kept going.
We know that you have a passion for fashion which developed at an early age. Was fashion something that you knew you would integrate into your life at some point?
I always knew I wanted to work in fashion in some way. I grew up sewing and altering my clothes so that they would fit me better. At the time there weren’t many brands for young tall girls. I always knew I wanted to make clothes for women with fashion issues I struggled with.
For many years I put my love for fashion on the back burner to pursue my athletic career. It wasn’t until the ankle injury that I began to fuel that passion again.
Can you describe when and where you went to school for fashion? Was that a pivotal time for you?
I attended the Pima Community Colleges fashion program in Tucson AZ. It was a pivotal moment for me. I had already found a pattern maker and was working to find a manufacturer. I knew I had limited formal training in sewing and had no background in understanding fashion as a business. I felt that taking some classes would improve my knowledge and help me when I would go chat with other people in the industry.
What made you decide on swimsuits for a business venture?
In 2015 I started a fashion blog. It began as an athleisure/athletic space and quickly grew to me talking more about tall fashion. In 2016 the one-piece swimsuit resurfaced in popularity. Every blogger was talking about them. I saw many of the tall fashion bloggers all wearing and sharing about the same suit (because there was a limited amount of long suits out there). I wanted to share my finds on the blog, and I wanted to share a different suit than the other tall bloggers. I went out in search of a one-piece suit that was a longer torso. I realized how difficult it was to find one and the available ones were not styles that I wanted to wear.
After a department store saleswoman suggested I just wear a two-piece suit. I thought to myself, “l bet I could make a one-piece” I knew if I was having this issue there were so many other women out there that also felt this struggle.
What are you enjoying most about being an entrepreneur in the fashion industry? Also, what are some of the struggles that you face?
What I love most is seeing my ideas and dream come to fruition. Being an entrepreneur is fun because you forge your path in a direction that you have in mind and tomorrow that path and direction can be different. I enjoy learning and connecting with others while also being free to make my own decisions and try new things.
Learning on the fly – I think this is just a part of being an entrepreneur hiccups and setbacks as an entrepreneur rarely do anything go as planned. You always have to be ready to pivot.
How has it impacted your life to be a member of the tall community, tailoring swimsuits to fit others with long torsos?
It means so much to me to be able to connect with the tall community and others with longer torsos. When I hear how much a woman loves the suit and how she hasn’t bought a new one in 10 yrs because she hadn’t been able to find one that fit her – it makes me feel happy that I can see her, relate to her issue and I am working to help her.
You just recently collaborated on a pop-up experience for tall women in LA. What was it like to see these tall and confident women rock your pieces?
It makes my heart so happy knowing I can help women that have struggled in the fashion industry for so long to get proper fitting clothes to finally have something beautiful and well fitting. Hearing their feedback and seeing their pictures makes me so happy.
You do it all Whitney and it’s inspiring! What does your entrepreneur life balance look like while balancing professional athletics and fashion? How have you been able to balance the two?
It isn’t easy but I think when you have a love for something you find ways to make it work. I love volleyball and training and I love creating Wavelength Swimwear. Most of the days are split between volleyball and weight training in the morning and Wavelength work in the afternoons. The thing about being an entrepreneur and being a founder is that work is never done. I can shift my focus from Wavelength to volleyball, but right now as a one-woman show I never truly shut Wavelength off. I just have to make sure I am taking care of myself and taking time for all the things that matter to me and that includes connecting with others outside of Wavelength and volleyball. It’s a balancing act.
What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs struggling to find their brand identity or voice?
Stay true to yourself- you have a unique voice and identity. Try not to get lost in what others are doing. Stick to what makes you happy and work to be consistent.
What does the future hold for Whitney the professional athlete? Please mention any future tournaments or events that should be recognized.
The most immediate goal is to win our Zone Championship. That will allow us to get a bid for the Paris 2024 Paralympics. That is currently the biggest goal for me right now. I want to head back to the Paralympics.
What are your goals for Wave Length Swimwear?
A few of my goals are to add some more designs and colors as well as to add a wider size range. I want to be able to cater to more women in the tall community. Also, see if I can find my way into any stores in the future.
Are any future pop-ups with the line that you would like to mention?
We will be collaborating with Tall Size for a pop-up shopping experience happening July 14-16. In Chicago! For more information on this specific event, please visit @tallsize on Instagram.
Read more from Chloe!
Chloe Redmond, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Chloe Redmond is a leader in digital marketing, influencer partnerships, and social media management. A chance opportunity to work with Chopra Global (Deepak Chopra’s legacy company) in 2020 that left her with the understanding of how mindfulness and marketing can co-exist. She is dedicated in helping entrepreneurs reach their pure potentiality through intentional and intuitive marketing practices. Her mission: to teach others how to put their authentic self into play what targeting their niche and discovering creative partnerships.
