BUT NOW, THEY’RE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER IN A WAY THEY NEVER
EXPECTED.
EXPECTED. >> WE MET WHEN I WAS IN THE
SIXTH GRADE AND DAVID WAS IN THE
SEVENTH.
SEVENTH. >> Reporter: CJ BELLAMY II AND
DAVID KELLAM BECAME KIDS WHEN
THEY MET AT THE BUS STOP.
>> WE’VE BEEN FRIENDS A LONG
TIME.
TIME. >> Reporter: THEY BONDED OVER
THEIR SHARED INTEREST IN SPORTS.
>> I PLAYED FOOTBALL, RAN TRACK.
>> IT WAS PRETTY MUCH SET IN
STONE I WAS GOING TO PLAY
BASKETBALL.
BASKETBALL. >> Reporter: THE DAY AFTER
CHRISTMAS IN 2006, WHEN CJ WAS A
JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE WAS
THE VICTIM OF A DRIVE-BY
SHOOTING.
SHOOTING. >> I IMMEDIATELY KNEW SOMETHING
WAS WRONG BECAUSE I COULDN’T
STAND.
STAND. AS SOON AS I GOT SHOT, I
IMMEDIATELY FELL TO THE GROUND.
>> Reporter: THE BULLET NICKED
HIS SPINAL CORD.
>> IT WAS JUST A WHOLE BUNCH OF
LIKE THOUGHTS GOING THROUGH MY
HEAD.
HEAD. WILL I PLAY BASKETBALL AGAIN, OR
AM I GOING TO DIE?
>> Reporter: CJ WAS PARALYZED
FROM THE CHEST DOWN.
>> I KNEW I COULDN’T PLAY
BASKETBALL AGAIN.
BASKETBALL AGAIN. THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART.
I WENT INTO A DEPRESSION PHRASE.
I DIDN’T REALLY TALK TO ANYONE.
>> Reporter: MEANWHILE, DAVID
GRADUATED AND WENT ON TO PLAY
FOOTBALL AND RUN TRACK IN
CONCORD UNIVERSITY IN WEST
VIRGINIA.
VIRGINIA. IN HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR, THE
UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED.
UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED. >> I WAS IN A MOTORCYCLE
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT. I WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE ABOUT
45 MILES AN HOUR.
I WASN’T DOING ANYTHING CRAZY.
THE COLUMN ON THE BIKE SLID OFF.
>> Reporter: A LOOSE SCREW ON
THE MOTORCYCLE DAVID HAD
RECENTLY BOUGHT FELL OFF.
>> I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. I MEAN, I JUST REMEMBER WAKING
UP.
UP. I DON’T REMEMBER LOSING CONTROL
OR ANYTHING.
OR ANYTHING. >> Reporter: DAVID BROKE HIS
BACK, AND NOW HE, TOO, WAS
PARALYZED.
PARALYZED. >> IT WAS A TOUGH BLOW, BUT I
WAS THANKFUL I STILL HAD THE USE
OF MY ARMS AND UPPER BODY.
>> Reporter: HE MOVED BACK TO
ORLANDO TO BE NEAR FAMILY AND,
COINCIDENTALLY, RAN INTO HIS
FRIEND, CJ, AT PHYSICAL THERAPY.
>> YOU CAN GO BEHIND THE BENCH.
>> Reporter: THEIR FRIENDSHIP
PICKED UP RIGHT WHERE THEY LEFT
IT, BONDING YET AGAIN OVER THEIR
SHARED SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW,
LIKE WHAT WE GO THROUGH ON A
DAILY BASIS.
DAILY BASIS. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT WITH EACH
OTHER.
OTHER. >> OUR FRIENDSHIP HAS DEFINITELY
GOT BETTER CLOSER, JUST BECAUSE
OF OUR INJURIES.
>> DAVID KELLAM JR. AND CJ
BELLNYBELL
BELLNYBELL BELLAMY II JOIN US.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
HERE’S THE THING, DAVID, YOU AND
CJ, THE BOND AND FRIENDSHIP IS
OBVIOUS.
OBVIOUS. ON A DAILY BASIS, HOW DO YOU
GUYS ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO
KEEP GOING AND KEEP GOING?
>> I MEAN, IT’S JUST -- WE JUST
KEEP GOING.
KEEP GOING. IT’S A THING WHERE YOU JUST KNOW
THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, AND
YOU JUST PUSH YOURSELF, PUSH
YOURSELF, PUSH YOURSELF TO DO
IT.
IT. NOBODY IS LIKE HOLDING YOU DOWN,
ESPECIALLY LIKE IN A CROSSFIT
GYM.
GYM. EVERYBODY IS PUSHING YOU,
PUSHING YOU.
PUSHING YOU. YOU ALWAYS THINK YOU CAN DO
BETTER.
BETTER. >> YOU KNOW, AND I’M GUILTY OF
THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU’LL BE
TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING AND YOU
SAY, OH, THIS IS JUST THE WORST.
WELL, YOU GUYS ARE LIVING PROOF
THAT WHATEVER WE EXPERIENCE IS
NOT THE WORST.
YET, YOU PUSH PAST IT.
WHAT DO YOU DO EACH DAY FOR EACH
OTHER TO HELP YOU GET PAST THAT?
>> I FEEL LIKE EACH DAY, WE JUST
COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
SEND EACH OTHER MOTIVATIONAL
THINGS.
THINGS. LIKE, HEY, TODAY, I MEAN, TODAY
IS A DIFFERENT DAY TO GET
BETTER.
BETTER. DON’T EVER LIMIT YOURSELF.
IT’S ALWAYS POSITIVE.
AS LONG AS YOU HAVE POSITIVITY,
CHANGE YOUR MIND ON HOW YOU GO
ABOUT YOUR DAY, THEN THERE’S
NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE CROSSFIT?
Y’ALL ARE GETTING AFTER IT THERE
IN THE GYM.
HOW OFTEN DO WE GET TO THE
CROSSFIT GYM, AND HOW DID YOU
REALIZE THAT YOU COULD ADAPT A
LOT OF THOSE WORKOUTS?
>> OUR COACH IS AMAZING, COACH
G.
G. >> DEFINITELY GOT A GOOD COACH.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE GYM IS
DEFINITELY GREAT.
DEFINITELY GREAT. I MEAN, BEING THAT WE PLAYED
SPORTS ALREADY, WE ALREADY KNEW
WE HAD IT IN US.
>> GOT IT.
>> IT WAS PRETTY MUCH JUST
GETTING BACK INTO THE GYM AND
GETTING BACK TO THE WORKOUT WE
COULD ACTUALLY DO FROM WHERE WE
ARE NOW.
ARE NOW. >> YOU’RE NOT ONLY THERE FOR
EACH OTHER BUT MENTORING OTHER
KIDS WHO MAY HAVE PHYSICAL
DISABILITIES, AS WELL.
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. LIKE I WOULD TELL SOMEONE, DON’T
FOCUS ON THE THINGS YOU CAN’T
DO.
DO. IF YOU FOCUS ON THE THINGS YOU
CAN’T DO
CAN’T DO CAN
CAN CAN DO, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING.
THAT’S WHAT I’D TELL ANYONE.
SOMEONE IS ALWAYS LIKE, YOU
CAN’T DO THIS, YOU CAN’T DO
THAT.
THAT. BUT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING WELL.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> FOCUS ON IT.
>> YES.
>> YES. GREAT STORY.