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TODAY SHOW & WESH 2 NEWS
 

Two Orange County friends are changing lives for those with disabilities.They're benefiting from a gym for people in wheelchairs, thanks to a grant from Orlando Health.They're also spreading the word to others like them.C.J. Bellamy and David Kellam from Orlando were recently interviewed on The Today Show about how two friends in wheelchairs support each other.\"And being able to tell our story and spread awareness was great for us. Our story is pretty much never give up on yourself,\" Bellamy said.The two have known each other since middle school. They went on to play sports, and want to do it professionally.\"I was actually shot in 2006, just a drive-by shooting. I was out with my friends during Christmas,\" Bellamy said. Kellam suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident.They were reunited at the Orlando Rehab Health Center and then the South Orange Gym.Orlando Health developed a new program to train gym personnel to adapt workouts for those with spinal cord injuries, partnering with a gym and training their coaches on their specific needs.It also helps with health issues.\"A lot of people don't (know) the biggest cause of death of a person in a wheelchair is heart disease, we don't exercise as much,\" Kellam said. \"It's definitely made me stronger, like I can bench press 400 pounds.\"The friends said it's all about focusing on the positive.\"Don't focus on the things you can't do, but focus on things you can do. That one thing will always be your strength,\" Kellam said.The hope is that other gyms will also implement programs like this with coaches to help people with spinal chord injuries.

Grateful for our @socf_fitness team for all the hard work. Taking on the adaptive program has been life changing for our community. Thank you @orlandohealth and @ro_flo17 for believing in us to continue changing lives. This program is expanding to new local gyms and glad to be working along side Orlando Health. To more success and to new goals we are setting for this program next year. Grateful to receive FLORIDA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION quality of service award. More coming soon!!

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FLORIDA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION 
 

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