Sharing the Gift of a Second Chance After Paralysis

GREENSBORO, N.C., Dec. 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During this holiday season, many people race to find the perfect gift for friends and loved ones. For others like Beth Deloria, the perfect gift isn't neatly wrapped and the race doesn't include an outing to the mall. Deloria was a competitive runner before foot paralysis sidelined her in 2004. Despite her paralysis, she was determined to "Get Back Up". With the help of a technologically advanced orthotic brace, she received the gift of a second chance and found a way to not only walk but to run again. Deloria has a paralytic condition known as foot drop in her left foot and ankle. Foot drop affects thousands of people across the U.S. Among the causes for the paralysis associated with foot drop are stroke, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder and neuropathy often associated with diabetes. Driven by a passion to encourage people who, like her, face physical limitations that threaten to diminish their quality of life, Deloria has taken her running to a new level and is sharing her experience with others.

In order to share her message to "Get Back Up", Deloria set an ambitious goal to run at least 20 half marathons this year. She has exceeded her goal, having competed in 25 road races in 21 states, totaling over 300 miles in 2012. Twenty-two of the races have been 13.1-mile half marathons, which she usually completes in less than two hours.

Deloria has undertaken her "Get Back Up" mission to show the thousands of Americans who suffer from foot drop that they don't have to surrender their mobility to the condition. "Those of us with foot drop don't have to settle for losing the mobility we need to do our jobs, do things for our families, or continue the activities we enjoy," she says. "I understand firsthand the importance of not allowing a condition like foot drop to dictate how we live our lives." The number of Deloria's followers on social media has exploded and continues to grow after each race as people discover what is possible.

Deloria has battled foot drop since 2004, when severe spinal trauma and surgery caused nerve damage that resulted in the paralysis in her left foot and ankle. "With foot drop, my capability essentially declined from running over 26 miles to having difficulty walking without tripping," she says. "The prospect of giving up an important part of my life because of foot drop was extremely depressing," she recalls.

Deloria is able to compete as a distance runner thanks to a special brace that supports and stabilizes her ankle, while flexing her foot upward in a position necessary for a normal running gait. The brace is a technologically advanced, carbon fiber and Kevlar® orthotic device designed to reflect the energy created by the wearer's running or walking motion. Deloria has run with the brace for about five years, during which time she ran her fastest marathon ever and competed three times in the Boston Marathon.

Deloria is Manager of Community Outreach for Allard USA, the company that manufactures the ToeOFF brace she uses.

Liz Summers

For Allard USA

336 312 7325 (mobile)

lizpsummers@gmail.com

About Allard USA

Allard USA is a subsidiary of Allard International, recognized worldwide as a leader of innovative orthotic devices, privately owned by Peter Allard and based in Helsingborg, Sweden. Allard USA is committed to working together with Orthotic and Prosthetic facilities and medical professionals throughout North America to offer innovative orthotic solutions that will help improve function and quality of life for individuals with physical challenges.

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