MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and one resident in Manatee County has found strength in his disability, now hoping to help others.

When Robby Andrews steps foot in the gym, it’s go time.

“Working out is my new drug. It replaces all of my anxiety during the day,” Andrews said.

Fitness has been life-changing for Andrews since his accident in 2007.

“The elevator was out in a condo, so I was using the stairway to go up. I ended up going out the fifth-floor window. I broke both my femurs, crushed my pelvis, had facial reconstruction, and was in a coma for six months. I spent about a year in the trauma unit with a spinal cord injury, and they said it would be a miracle if I ever walked again,” he said.

But he did.

He took his first steps in 2015 and started working out two years later.

“As a spinal cord injury patient, my left side was the worst — it was dying. Lifting weights, stretching, and exercising gave me feeling back,” he explained.

This led him to start his own personal training business, called 40X Max Performance.

“I’m not a fan of people telling you what you can’t do. I’ll tell you what you can do, and I’ll sit by your side and tell you that you can do it.”

Andrews also works full time at Apollo Medical Transport.

“I love it because it’s a chance for me to give back. I used to be transported all the time when I first had my accident,” he said.

He feels like he’s making a difference.

“I transport a lot of people with amputations, and when they see me walk in, it gives them a glimmer of hope. That brings joy to my day,” he explained.

For Andrews, it’s been a long road, but he’s adjusted.

“To me, it’s natural. If I didn’t have a disability, I’d feel like something was wrong because it’s so natural to me now not to have a leg,” he said.

Now, he’s focused on helping others.

“I know how treacherous that can be — the fear of the unknown when you’re traveling and can’t control yourself. When they see me and hear a little bit about my story and what I went through, it just makes their ride so much easier,” he explained.

Andrews has turned his difficulty into his strength, and he’s determined to help others do the same.

In the future, Andrews plans to become a personal trainer for children with disabilities.