The Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham is a world leader in fitness, athletic performance and health promotion for people with disabilities, as well as veterans and seniors (with or without a disability).
A nonprofit founded in 1984, the foundation serves about 4,000 people annually and is a leader in paralympic and adaptive sports training, disability advocacy and inclusive fitness.
Lakeshore Foundation creates a supportive environment where people can thrive physically, mentally and socially.
The facility has served athletes from around the world who come to Birmingham to train or compete. Lakeshore is a U.S. U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site and is home for two Paralympic sports — USA Wheelchair Rugby and Boccia United States.
The Lakeshore Foundation is also a long-time family affair for the Kambers of Homewood.
Daniel Kamber is a Membership Professional and a Masters Swim Coach at the facility.
In addition, his “whole family is active at the Lakeshore Foundation,” Daniel said. “My father Michael and my mom Sherry are both highly involved, and my dad serves on the board.”
Daniel’s been a Lakeshore Foundation member since 1991, when Sherry heard about the facility’s Super Sports Saturday program for disabled kids.
“I involved Daniel, and he found his love of swimming,” Sherry said.
Daniel started working at the foundation in 2001.
“Everything I do here is gratifying,” he says, calling the foundation “a great organization.”
Last year, the Lakeshore Foundation leveraged its decades of experience in adaptive sports and opened the new Sports Science & Performance Center (SSPC).
The SSPC provides disabled athletes with an unrivaled training experience at a great facility along with data-driven workouts, personalized meal plans and help with mental performance
“As an athlete with a disability, the presence of the SSPC at Lakeshore Foundation is incredibly powerful,” Daniel says.
Daniel is a paralympic swimmer and was a member of the U.S. Paralympic National Team in 2004 in Greece and in 2011 at the Para PanAm Games in Mexico.
SSPC serves elite athletes and aspiring athletes, with or without disabilities, along with a diverse roster of seniors and other clients who are seeking a supportive facility where they can maximize their fitness, strength and balance.
This includes Sherry.
Six months ago, she also began training with Brandon Kane at the SSPC to build more muscle and improve her flexibility and balance.
Sherry does weightlifting, the medicine ball, TRX and lots of balance moves.
“I saw and felt results and felt stronger,” Sherry said. “My program is based on scientific data.”
“My mother tells me all the time she is loving it and getting stronger every day,” Daniel said. “I notice also.”
“SSPC is the perfect fit for someone who really wants to see results and not just go through the motions,” Sherry said.
“I enjoy having my mother active in the SSPC,” Daniel said.
Sherry also enjoys daily walks at the field house at the foundation.
“It’s especially nice to walk with all the friends that I have made on the track,” she says.
“Lakeshore Foundation being centrally located here in Homewood, so it’s very easy to access,” Sherry says. “There is no reason not to consider what the facility has to offer.”
For more about the Lakeshore Foundation, including volunteer opportunities, call 205-313-7400 or go to lakeshore.org
For more information about the SSPC, go online to lakeshore.org/sspc.
