Local physician competes in senior athletics to raise awareness
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ELKINS -- In an effort to continuously raise awareness for physical fitness, local physician Farukh Khan continues to compete in multiple athletic competitions despite being over the age of 70.
Over the past two weekends, the longtime Elkins doctor has hit the road for a pair of events. On June 22, Khan traveled to North Carolina to compete in the Senior Pickleball and Racquetball Regionals. A week later on June 29, he was in Charleston for the West Virginia State Senior Games.
"The reason I keep competing in all these events is to raise awareness and promote all of the different sports that I can for seniors," Khan, who owns and operates his own medical facility on Pleasant Avenue, told The Inter-Mountain. "Following a good diet and exercise program can cut down on a lot of medication that people take. I take several medications myself, and if not for me staying on a good diet and exercising regularly, I would be taking more myself."
Khan, 73, said it's necessary that people consult their doctor before starting any new exercise program or diet.
"Check with your doctor before you start anything," he said. "When you start getting older, if you don't regularly follow a good diet and exercise, it's possible that you will end up taking all kinds of medications and having all kinds of surgeries."
While competing in North Carolina, Khan fell short of defending his title in pickleball and earned a silver medal. In 2023 Khan raced through state, regional, and national competitions en route to winning the National Senior Games championship. Last year's title earned Khan the right to compete in the Huntsman World Senior Games.
Khan, who also finished second in the regional racquetball competition, says an injury hampered his chances of winning another regional pickleball title.
"I had a little trouble in both the pickleball and racquetball tournaments, because I tore my right quad," Khan said. "And that happened because I wasn't practicing my running enough. I went there and gave maximum effort and the muscles that I did not exercise with running, one of them tore."
Despite being a year older, Khan broke all of his personal-best records that he set a year earlier at the West Virginia Senior Games. He placed first in the 50-meter dash, 100-meter, and 200-meter, while winning silver in the long jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin, and discus. He placed third in the hammer throw.
His showing at the state games earned him the opportunity to represent West Virginia in the Pan American Games later this month. That event will be held in Cleveland, Ohio and will feature senior athletes from the United States, Canada, and South America. He also qualified for the National Pickleball and Racquetball Senior Tournament to be held in Iowa next year.
"I play pickleball every day that I can," he said. "I am willing to give free lessons to seniors in pickleball or any of the other sports I compete in. I will teach them and coach them in any activity they would like. They don't have to be patient of mine, either. They just have to call the office and reach out to me and I will help."