WTHR'S Dave Calabro 'overwhelmed with gratitude' as he announces retirement after 32 years

WTHR-13 Sports Director Dave Calabro announced Tuesday he will retire from the television station at the end of the year.

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Calabro told IndyStar he’s been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support he’s received since announcing his retirement.

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“I guess I didn’t realize how much people actually pay attention and care,” he joked. “It’s been pretty humbling to get all the texts and phone calls and emails.”

With a year and a half or so left in his contract with the local NBC affiliate, Calabro said it was his decision to step away.

“I’ve been praying about this and talking about it with my wife for probably a year or so,” he said. “Because this is all I’ve ever done — literally.”

Calabro said he worked in radio as a high schooler at Ben Davis and through college at Butler University. After graduating from Butler in 1985, Calabro spent five years at WDTN in Dayton, Ohio, where he covered the Cincinnati Bengals and Reds before joining WTHR in 1992 as a weekend sports anchor, according to his bio on the station's website.

Calabro reflected on his three decades with WTHR: Flying across the state for Operation Football, covering eight Olympics, multiple Super Bowls, NBA playoffs, interviewing U.S. presidents were just some of the highlights.

There’s a long list of stories he’s proud of: “I don’t even know where to start, and I’ve just now started to process all of that.”

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The 61-year-old said he hopes to spend his retirement volunteering, traveling with his wife, Lisa — he’d like to go somewhere and actually experience the city rather than work the entire time. He'd also like to head to the east coast to visit sons Drew, 32, and Alex, 28.

“I’m so blessed. Not only have I had a great career, my personal life is probably better than my career, and I’m more proud of my personal life than my career,” he said. “The past couple of years, it’s been like work is starting to get in the way of things that are more priority now to us.”

Viewers will still have a few more months — and one more high school football season — with Calabro, who said he expects to sign off sometime before the holidays this December. He expressed his gratitude to his colleagues at WTHR, as well as the coaches, athletes and families who have helped him tell stories.

“I’ll miss all those relationships,” he said. “But I won’t miss chasing breaking news.”

Calabro said he’s grateful to the viewers who have followed his career.

“Overwhelmed with gratitude,” he said. “I’m just thankful that people let me be in their homes.”

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Contact IndyStar pop culture reporter Holly Hays at holly.hays@indystar.com. Follow her on X/Twitter: @hollyvhays.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WTHR's Dave Calabro will retire from TV, plans to continue PA at IMS