This world-class wellness facility + resource is free for most Alabama veterans

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What do an administrative professional from Birmingham and a rugby player from Tucson, Arizona have in common? More than you might think.

While Lakeshore Foundation Guest Relations Specialist Sandra Shearer and USA Wheelchair Rugby national team player Chris Fleace often cross paths at Lakeshore here in Birmingham, they share deeper connections. Both are U.S. military veterans, credit Lakeshore for its impact on their lives and want others to experience it, too.

Read on to learn more about their stories, Lakeshore’s programs and how Alabama veterans can join for free.

Returning to service by helping others

Lakeshore Foundation has long been known as a leader in creating opportunities for people with disabilities, from adapted sports to holistic wellness. Fewer are aware of how the organization serves Alabama veterans.

It’s the same ethos of building people up through activities and support, Shearer says. She deeply appreciates helping veterans navigate life after service, having been there once herself. Before earning a master’s degree in business administration and starting her civilian career, Shearer served for over 12 years in the U.S. Army, including two tours in Germany.

Growing veteran membership

Lakeshore’s Veterans Program recently expanded, thanks to a state grant, allowing all honorably discharged Alabama veterans and their household family members to join for free. Veterans and their families now account for 40% of Lakeshore’s total membership.

While the offer is open to veterans regardless of whether they have sustained an injury, Lakeshore’s programs are especially helpful to those who have, Shearer says.

“These veterans need a place where they can go after the VA. Here, we focus on the healing process, including mindset, mindfulness and healthy eating. All of this plays a part in not only your physical but your mental healing, as well.
_{Sandra Shearer}

Want to give Lakeshore Foundation a try? Just stop by and request a visitor pass at the front desk.

📍Where: Lakeshore Foundation, 4000 Ridgeway Dr, Birmingham, AL 35209
⌚️When: Monday-Friday, 5:30AM-7:30PM; Saturday, 7AM-3PM

Activities + amenities at Lakeshore

Lakeshore’s team of experts offers assisted recreation, athletics, fitness and aquatics programs and activities that include cycling, shooting, archery, golf, wheelchair basketball and pickleball (and that’s just naming a few). The facilities include:

• a 126,000-square-foot fieldhouse with a three-court gym + 100-meter Mondo surface track
• a 6,000-square-foot fitness center with strength training + cardio equipment
• an aquatics center with two heated pools
• an indoor air rifle + archery range

Veterans inspiring one another

Chris Fleace was a 21-year-old U.S. Army Reservist in 2010 when he sustained a spinal injury. Six years later, he first visited Lakeshore as a college player attending a US Wheelchair Rugby development camp. In 2023, he made the USAWR the national training squad for the first time, becoming the second veteran on the team, alongside longtime member Mason Symons.

He now considers Lakeshore “another home,” given all of the time he spends training there.

On a recent visit, Fleace met a local Lakeshore member, who recognized him as a fellow veteran. (“I have a camo green wheelchair and a crew cut,” Fleace explains). They swapped stories, and Fleace shared about wheelchair rugby before introducing his new friend to Symons and other teammates. The team gained a new fan, who came to every game that week and brought along another veteran, too.

“Even the community members who are veterans connect that way and through the athletes who are also veterans. It was a pretty cool experience.”
_{Chris Fleace}

Ready to become a member at Lakeshore? Visit the membership page and fill out an application.

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