WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPTV) -- Michael Mummert grew up on the water.

"On the boat every day, I never had a babysitter," he said. "The boat was my babysitter."

Mummert’s father, he says, played a huge role in pushing him to live beyond his disability, cerebral palsy.

“I was never allowed to say ‘no’ or ‘I can’t’ or anything like that. It was, I’d look at my dad to help me and he’d say, ‘well, how hard did you try,'" explained Mummert.

That "can-do" attitude led Mummert to horseback riding, dirt bikes, baseball, and everything in between, including fishing.

He got a job as a dockhand as a teenager where he met Captain Weston Russell in West Palm Beach.

“He would come up to us and say, you know, ‘Can we please come, I would like to work with you guys,’ and I would tell him, ’Michael, we only have licensed captains,’” Russell said.

Becoming licensed is no small task and includes nautical and fishing knowledge, and physical assessments.

“You need a lot of hours on the water and you need to be able to fish and fishing isn’t something you just read a book about, it really takes years and years and years to become a good fisherman,” says Russell.

“It was 100% the hardest thing in ever done in my life,” Mummert said.

But sure enough, three months later he came back with a captain’s license in hand, this time as an employee of Reel Intense Fishing.

He’s quickly become a customer favorite and an award-winning fisherman when he’s not working and inspiring others

“The biggest thing I can have someone take away from this is don’t make any excuses and just do what you got to do to get it done at the end of the day,” Mummert said.

This story was originally reported by Chris Gilmore on WPTV.com.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Eleven-year-old Brady Young thrives on structure.

From Cub Scout to Boy Scout, Brady said the principles he’s learned have helped shape him.

Always be “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, irreverent,” recalls Brady, who made sure to add, “I feel like I’m all of those. I do a pretty good job at that.”

But one other rule he lives by is what has his Port St. Lucie community talking.

“Treat others as you want to be treated,” said Brady.

He took those words to heart at a young age, participating in various scout events, school initiatives, and backpack food drives for hungry students.

Even his principal at Morningside Elementary, Kathleen Melrose, has noticed and says she’s not really surprised anymore.

“Brady’s always got his hands in something for the good of the community or the good of the school,” said Melrose.

So when a school-sponsored fundraiser selling various snacks started in March, it came as no shock when Brady encouraged those interested in buying to help out even more by helping to donate to all the 175 area firefighters in his Port St. Lucie community.

“There’s just so much going on and to be reminded of how something so small could turn into something so big and affect so many people in such a positive way that’s what we all need to remember to take a step back and look at the good in life and Brady is that good in life,” said Melrose.

It brings new meaning to “treating” others. When we asked him why he wanted to it, Brady said, “It made me feel good.”

And beyond that, he explained, “Well, I mean, I really wanted people to feel good, you know, because like 2020-2021 has been hard for most people.”

It was tough on firefighters and EMTs like Matthew Lamont of the St. Lucie County Fire District.

“It’s not every day the role is reversed on us. It definitely hits home a little bit when a kid as young as he is is doing this already, and he’s not even in middle school yet,” said Lamont.

At the end of the day, Lamont said it’s not about the treats, ”It’s the thought honestly I never expect anything from anyone - especially the community because I always want to give to them and to see Brady give back, it doesn’t even matter what the gift is, it’s just more the thought that matters to me.”

Chris Gilmore at WPTV first reported this story.