成人X站

SEATTLE'S MORNING NEWS

An unlikely friendship with muscle behind it

Sep 28, 2017, 8:08 AM | Updated: Oct 1, 2024, 10:40 am

(File, Associated Press)...

(File, Associated Press)

(File, Associated Press)

He was a little nervous. Sammy Callari, a former high school athlete and former MMA fighter with three wins under his belt, was anxious about training someone with a disability.

But when the Southwest Florida personal trainer met 13-year-old Parker those nerves melted away. The two hit it off and have, over the years, built a friendship like no other. A friendship with some muscle behind it.

“I like my relationship with Sammy and he’s like a brother and Sam is a really good man. I love him with all my heart,” Parker

Sammy blushes and wraps an arm around Parker. He’s grown close to the teen – often posting videos of them dancing and singing in his car as they drive to the gym.

“I feel like society portrays those with disabilities as difficulties. I’ve never seen it like that. Obviously, he has Downs Syndrome so there’s a lot of difficulties that will lie ahead for him and I realize that. But that doesn’t mean where you start is where you have to end up,” Sammy said.

Sammy told the newspaper that he also trains clients with Parkinson’s disease and one day plans to open his own gum so more clients with special needs can find the confidence he’s helped Parker discover.

You can hear Colleen O鈥橞rien鈥檚 鈥淒aily Dose of Kindness鈥 segment every morning at 7:30 a.m. on 成人X站 Radio 97.3 FM

Cars drive along the Las Vegas Strip, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)C...

Associated Press

All major Las Vegas Strip casinos are now unionized in historic labor victory

LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥 When Susana Pacheco accepted a housekeeping job at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip 16 years ago, she believed it was a step toward stability for her and her 2-year-old daughter. But the single mom found herself exhausted, falling behind on bills and without access to stable health insurance, caught […]

31 minutes ago

Louie the spider monkey climbs on John Richard, a volunteer at the Gulf Coast Primate Sanctuary in ...

Associated Press

A Mississippi monkey sanctuary helps veterans with PTSD find peace

PERKINSTON, Miss. (AP) 鈥 In the embrace of a cheerfully chittering spider monkey named Louie, an Army veteran who grappled for decades with post-traumatic stress disorder says he finally feels at peace. 鈥淏eing out here has brought a lot of faith back to me,鈥 said John Richard. 鈥淭here’s no feeling like it.鈥 The bond began […]

33 minutes ago

Associated Press

Asian markets are mixed after Wall St tumbles following poor US jobs report

BANGKOK (AP) 鈥 Shares in Asia are mixed after Wall Street had its worst day since May following the release of weak U.S. jobs data. Markets in Asia had already reacted on Friday to U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 announcement of sweeping tariffs on imports from many U.S. trading partners, posting moderate losses. The new import […]

1 hour ago

This image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV shows Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and others in a boat a...

Associated Press

Third child dies nearly a week after a boat collision near Miami, Coast Guard says

MIAMI (AP) 鈥 The U.S. Coast Guard says a third child has died nearly a week after a barge struck and sank a boat during a sailing camp near Miami. All six people on the sailboat were pulled from the water after the collision, and four kids were rushed to a hospital where two were […]

4 hours ago

FILE - A Russian and Chinese national flag flutter near Tiananmen Gate for the visiting Russia's Pr...

Associated Press

China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian and Iranian oil

WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 U.S. and Chinese officials may be able to settle many of their differences to reach a trade deal and avert punishing tariffs, but they remain far apart on one issue: the U.S. demand that China stop purchasing oil from Iran and Russia. 鈥淐hina will always ensure its energy supply in ways that […]

4 hours ago

FILE - This file photo taken Feb. 17, 2011 shows protestors of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's bill t...

Associated Press

Things to know about legislator walkouts as Texas Democrats flee state over a high-stakes map vote

Texas Democrats are fleeing the state Sunday in an effort to hinder Republicans from approving a new U.S. House map that could boost their slim congressional majority in 2026. The walkout lets the minority party keep Republicans in charge from having enough votes for maps that would add five new Republican-leaning congressional districts. The proposed […]

8 hours ago

An unlikely friendship with muscle behind it