| New Mexico Senior Olympics, Inc. | Spring 2005 |
New Mexico Senior Helping Thousands to Stay
Active and Pain Free
Maintaining an active lifestyle is a priority for many seniors, but often painful physical conditions take a toll on their fitness activities. The ingenuity of New Mexico’s own Al Gallegos is putting a spring back into sedentary lives and alleviating pain for young and old alike, nationwide.
What began as a need to alleviate his own pain while running, has blossomed into a successful pain-relief footwear business with a 200-distributor network across the United States. Al’s innovation is Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™, the shoes with the ‘coil’ under each heel, which have been specifically designed to relieve pain associated with many foot, leg, and back conditions.
Al balanced a business and raising eight children alone while persevering to make his footwear dream come true. Following the unexpected death of his wife Marcella in 1980, Al believed the best gift he could give his children was for them to have a healthy father who’d be around for many more years. So he started running.
Pounding the pavement and running competitively started to take its toll on Al’s feet and knees, making each stride excruciatingly painful. On a midnight run in Santa Fe, Al had a “spring-loaded” vision that he believed would significantly reduce impact to a runner’s body. If a shoe with a spring in the heel could only be invented, he thought, surely it would help diminish his pain. He waited for the major shoe companies to come out with a design similar to his vision and, after years of waiting, he finally took on the task himself.
Z-CoiL® footwear was born when Al put springs in his existing shoes with help from his local butcher to saw the heels open. Several prototypes later, Al’s vision finally became the Z-CoiL® shoes which now bring relief to thousands. People of all ages have reported more energy, increased mobility, and relief from a variety of painful conditions.
As an active senior in his 70s, Al’s mission is to spread the word about this remarkable pain-relief invention. He receives hundreds of testimonies from all over the nation and even a few worldwide thanking him for making Z-CoiL® shoes.
“I have suffered from recurrent back pain, knee pain, and heel spurs,” says Albuquerque nurse Susan Peyerl. “After purchasing my first pair of Z-CoiL® Taos clogs in 2002, I can honestly say that my back has not gone out, my heel spurs are in check, and I have no pain from any of the above problems.”
Julia Tapia of Pontiac, MI writes, “I had had surgery 18 months before for a heel spur, and the spur was coming back. I also had a car accident in 1981 and broke my ankle in several places. I have had three surgeries, and it left me with a limp on my right leg and severe back problems.”
“I can walk farther, and I can dance, something that I really enjoy and I had not been able to do since my accident without having a lot of pain. I can stand longer than before,” Julia adds, following her purchase of Z-CoiL® shoes.
Al’s vision began in his little 4th Street store in Albuquerque and continues to grow, but his mission remains the same, to help those in pain find relief and lead healthier, more active lives.
To learn more about Z-CoiL® footwear, visit the company’s website at www.zcoil.com or call 800.268.6239. 2005 State Game Sponsor.