Collections
Keep Up with SHEEX:
"Research suggests that sleep is needed for creative problem solving."
- National Institutes of Health
The Performance Team
In the summer of 2007, Susan Walvius and Michelle Marciniak were coaching basketball at the University of South Carolina. They had just finished a long day of teaching at camp and were sitting in the gym, exhausted. Susan was wearing her favorite performance apparel and said to Michelle, a star athlete and fitness fanatic, "I would love to have bed sheets made out of this stuff." Without blinking an eye, Michelle said, "Let's do it."
So began their adventure to transform the bedding category and help people get a better night's sleep.
Susan and Michelle were inspired by the feel, breathability and quick-dry features of performance fabrics. As coaches, they had witnessed the evolution of these fabrics in athletic wear and knew that the new fabrics enhance the performance of athletes. Unlike soak-drenched cotton T-shirts and shorts, performance fabrics breathe better, wick moisture and stretch to move with your body. They keep athletes cool, dry and comfortable ... Why wouldn't this same advanced material help produce an optimum sleep experience?
After two years of research and development, Susan and Michelle learned that these advanced materials do in fact create and maintain optimum conditions for deeper, more comfortable sleep. They started SHEEX with one simple goal in mind: To help people sleep better so they can perform at their peak the next day. At SHEEX, we strive to develop cutting-edge, high-quality sleep-optimizing products that provide better sleep for athletes and all.
Susan Walvius graduated from Virginia Tech in 1986 and went on to coach Division I women's college basketball for 21 years. She was an assistant coach at Bradley University and the University of Rhode Island before being hired as the youngest Division I head coach in the nation at Virginia Commonwealth University. Susan was the head coach at West Virginia University before finishing her career at the University of South Carolina, where she was head coach from 1997-2008 and was the 2002 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year.
"Five years ago, I wouldn't have thought of putting our athletes in anything but cotton. But today, elite athletes wear only the latest performance fabrics because of the fabrics' breathability and softness, as well as their moisture and temperature control. It makes perfect sense to introduce the finest of these fabrics to bedding."
Susan Walvius
SHEEX Founder
Former Head Coach,
USC Women's Basketball
From basketball superstar to entrepreneur, Michelle Marciniak still approaches every challenge and opportunity with the grit and determination that made her one of the most outstanding point guards to ever play women's basketball. She carried her big-dream attitude to the University of Tennessee, playing for legendary coach Pat Summitt. A leader on the court, Michelle ran the Lady Vols offense while guiding Tennessee to the 1995 and 1996 NCAA title games. In 1996, Michelle led the Lady Vols to their fourth National Championship and secured Most Valuable Player honors. The 11-year USA Basketball veteran began her six-year professional playing career in the ABL en route to becoming a fan favorite for the WNBA's Seattle Storm. A consummate competitor, Michelle stepped into the coaching arena in 2003 as an assistant coach to Susan Walvius at the University of South Carolina. While at South Carolina, Michelle inked back-to-back top 10 nationally ranked recruiting classes.
"I'm a fitness fanatic. I fell in love with the latest technology in athletic wear several years ago and wouldn't think about wearing cotton on a run today. I've tried all the latest fabrics, and the fabric we have chosen for Sheex is the top of the line. Now that we have incorporated the fabric into our luxurious bed sheets, I wouldn't want anything else on my bed."
Michelle Marciniak
SHEEX Founder
Former Assistant Coach,
USC Women's Basketball
Former WNBA Player