Nilesh Shah's first college
major was mechanical engineering. His father was a mechanical
engineer, as was his brother, so "it just seemed obvious that
I would be one, too," Shah says.
The Mentor native always had a
keen interest in athletics, with an involvement in sports
since he was 6. As he was scanning a list of college minors,
something caught his eye: sports medicine. "I couldn't figure
out how to fit that minor into mechanical engineering."
Shah's college adviser told him
that to add the minor, he would have to overload on classes
every semester. Instead, Shah decided to switch his major to
biology and pursue medicine. Even then, he hadn't decided on a
concentration for sure. It wasn't until his third year that he
decided on sports medicine.
"For me, it was more of
combining my love for sports with an occupation," and combine
he has.
Shah is the team physician at
Kent Roosevelt High School, Extreme Team of Northeast Ohio and
the Akron Aeros, a job he thoroughly enjoys. "My job there is
to watch baseball, so it's a lot of fun."
Working with professional
athletes is a change of pace from his other clientele, he
says, because of players' status. "At times, people get the
million-dollar work up for something very small because
they're worth a lot of money. It's a different style and a
different practice of medicine."
Aside from his team duties, he
is the medical director for the Akron Marathon and for the
LeBron James King for Kids Bike-a-thon. Oh, and did we mention
he has completed more than 10 marathons and a half marathon?
The question on everyone's mind has to be: How does he find
the time to train?
"I do most training in the
morning so my day doesn't get away from me. Days I don't get
[to work out] in the morning, I'll try for lunchtime or the
evening, but sometimes it doesn't happen. I don't like to take
time away from my family for training, so I try for the
morning."
When Shah doesn't get to his
workout, he doesn't see it as a bad thing. Shah says that
sometimes athletes focus too much on statistics, which can be
their downfall.
"I tell people that days off
here and there are OK. We all tend to be overachievers and get
too hung up on the numbers and days and times. If you get too
hung up on these things, you run yourself ragged. Everyone has
to balance that in their life."
A family man, Shah doesn't let
his training schedule get in the way of his home life. "If
something has to give, it's my training, not my family."
Shah believes, as an athlete,
that he can relate to other athletes better in his practice.
"I think it is a benefit, because I have been there from their
perspective, knowing how much sacrifice they need to make and
what they're feeling."
One of his mentors disagrees
with this perspective, saying, "You don't have to have cancer
to be a good cancer physician," but Shah says his athleticism
allows him to better understand the rigorous training an
athlete must undertake to perform well.
Working with many types of
athletes, Shah sees some common injuries, two of them being
ankle and knee injuries, mostly caused by overuse. Another
common problem he notices is a lack of core strength among
athletes. "I am a firm believer that core strength is a vital,
important piece that athletes neglect."
In a world of stats, body
measurements and weights, an athlete can get tunnel vision,
Shah says. "We look too much at numbers. A lot of that time we
spend pumping iron doesn't lead to increased performance." His
experience on his own and with other athletes, however, has
shown that a strong core can deliver performance and a
lessened chance of injuries.
Shah has gained a wealth of
knowledge in his practice and training, and says he is living
out his dream job. "The only thing I would love to add is
taking care of a Division III college on top of what I'm
doing."
With his busy schedule, Shah is
gearing up for the Columbus Marathon, a possible entry into
the Burning River 100 and, of course, watching a lot of
sports.
Who says dreams don't come
true?
Steve Schirra holds a B.A. in
English from Kent State University. His writing has appeared
in various Northeast Ohio magazines and newspapers.
Instead
of getting bored with the same training regimen, day after
day, try something new. Try cross training, which may become
your new sport. It worked for me.
Whether
you're traveling overseas on business, hiking in the woods, or
running a marathon, Garmin's GPS units help make life a little
easier. Garmin® International was founded in 1989
with a handful of dedicated engineers and a great idea for a
product. Today, with over 4,000 employees worldwide, Garmin is
a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of GPS
(Global Positioning System) navigation, communication, and
information equipment. The company has built and sold millions
of products that serve aviation, automotive, marine, consumer,
wireless, OEM, and general recreation markets. Our goal is to
enrich the lives of customers, suppliers, distributors, and
employees by providing the very best products that offer
superior quality, safety, and operational features at
affordable prices.