[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13835]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING MATTHEW WALZER FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 
         INTELLECTUALLY AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2015

  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Matthew 
Walzer for his extraordinary contributions to the lives of those with 
intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. It all began 
with a simple request to achieve a dream that most take for granted: 
16-year-old Matthew needed an easier way to put on his shoes.
  You see, Matthew has cerebral palsy, a condition which stiffens the 
muscles in the body making it difficult to walk and even speak. In an 
open letter to Nike's CEO Mark Parker, he explained that his condition 
makes it impossible to tie his shoes. Matthew, who at the time was 
preparing to leave high school and attend college, explained he simply 
wanted to go to the college of his choice and not worry about someone 
tying his shoes every day.
  Originally, Nike planned to make just one pair of this revolutionary 
shoe for Matthew; however that was not enough for this inspiring young 
man. Matthew didn't want a special shoe just for him--he understood 
this was an opportunity to develop something that would benefit a 
diverse community of millions of people facing various physical 
challenges. As a longtime admirer of Nike shoes, he brought attention 
to the lack of a running or basketball shoe with a self-lacing system 
that could be used by everyone.
  Matthew's discussions with Nike were the catalyst to change the world 
of shoe technology. Through his tireless work alongside Nike, his dream 
became a reality. Nike recently released the Zoom Lebron Soldier 8 
FLYEASE, a shoe that features a wrap-around zipper system. Now a 
sophomore at Florida Gulf Coast University, Matthew is able to put his 
shoes on every day without assistance.
  Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud of Matthew Walzer for refusing to 
back down from his goal and his actively seeking out a universal 
solution. He wanted to create a shoe not for one person, but for 
everyone. Even Lebron James wore them during a basketball game to prove 
that it was truly a shoe that everybody could wear.
  I am so extremely proud to recognize Matthew Walzer as a Hastings 
Star Student. Matthew has overcome diagnosis after diagnosis from 
doctors across the nation, and has proven that no matter the obstacles, 
he would not settle for the status quo.

                          ____________________