Reviewed by: Cindy Hatcher
A mission-driven Birmingham chef + 1 local kitchen to love
Reading time: 4 minutes
Birmingham chef Joon Reid has had something cooking at Lakeshore Foundation for over 30 years now. A Lakeshore member and athlete since age 15, he joined the staff in 2019 as a recreation and athletics specialist.
Reid also brings his culinary training and experience at notable Birmingham restaurants to prepare up to 60 meals daily for world-class athletes at Lakeshore for training camps throughout the year.
We recently met with Reid and the Lakeshore team to learn how nutrition factors into the organization’s mission to provide opportunities to people with disabilities to live healthy lifestyles.
Read on to discover what we learned.
Quick reference
Meet Birmingham chef Joon Reid
Before joining the Lakeshore staff, Reid was the chef and owner of a casual restaurant in Orange Beach, after two years as the kitchen manager for Little Donkey in Homewood. Before that, he worked as sous chef at Satterfield’s, which was a longtime fine-dining favorite in Birmingham.
He completed his culinary school training through Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, at its former Homewood campus.
Reid has been a left leg above-the-knee amputee for most of his life following a plane crash when he was age 4. He discovered adaptive sports the following year, starting with skiing. In high school, he found wheelchair basketball, which led him to Lakeshore as a teen. He went on to compete on national wheelchair handball and floorball squads and traveled the world.
Why does Lakeshore teach about nutrition?
While Reid uses a separate working kitchen to prepare meals for visiting athletes, many of them spend time in a different space where they learn the “why” behind what they eat: the Sports Science and Performance Center (SSPC) Nutrition Lab.
“In many ways, nutrition is the foundation on which a healthy training program is built. Whether you are an elite Paralympic athlete or the everyday weekend warrior looking to stay healthy, it really starts in the kitchen. Nutrition is relevant to every aspect of the process because it is the fuel that runs our bodies.”
Brandon Kane, Lakeshore Foundation SSPC Associate Director of Sport Performance
Lakeshore SSPC Nutrition Lab accessible design features
In addition to athlete nutrition classes and consultation, the lab also hosts classes for community members. The classes also happen virtually, too, thanks to the lab’s well-equipped audiovisual system.
While the technology allows anyone, anywhere to learn, the physical space and equipment are all designed so anyone can cook easily, including:
- Height-adjustable counters
- Counter-height ovens
- Utensils with large rubber handles
- Adaptive kitchen gadgets for one-handed or low-grip prep
Learn more about the SSPC + Lakeshore Foundation
The SSPC is a relatively new part of Lakeshore, having opened in early 2024. The center is open to anyone in the community who wants fitness assessments, custom exercise programs and expert coaching, focused on four service areas:
Lakeshore Foundation serves over 4,000 people annually through physical activity, advocacy, policy and research. The organization is internationally renowned for many reasons, including its status as a longtime Olympic and Paralympic Training Site and home to three U.S. Paralympic teams.
To learn more about Lakeshore Foundation and the SSPC, visit Lakeshore.org.
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