It is often said that the only difference between "wanting it" and "living it", is "believing that you can live it." This statement epitomizes Akil Taherbhai - the 68-year-old physician from Alabama. He has done everything from triathlons to skydiving, hang gliding and scuba diving - and not during his youth, but after going through open-heart surgery at 61.

Then there’s the indomitable 67-year-old Akil Taher who has landed from the US to run his last full marathon in Mumbai. For someone who ran his first marathon six years ago and eight months after an open-heart surgery, Taher’s key offering is his spirit, apart from supporting the Bombay Medical Aid Foundation.

Born Again at 61 - After Open Heart Surgery! Marathons. Mountain treks. A triathlon. Sky diving. Hang gliding and scuba diving. By any standards, that’s a pretty hefty list of accomplishments for any individual. How much more impressive, then, that the credit for this list of high endurance activities goes to Dr. AKIL TAHER, a heart patient in his sixties!

Dr. Akil Taher celebrated his 66th birthday on March 27. Taher says triple bypass surgery in 2009 marked the time he began truly living, though. More than just a procedure to clear out blocked arteries, the surgery transformed his life.

Dr. Akil Taher celebrated his 66th birthday on March 27, yet it wasn’t until about five years ago that he felt he truly began living. It was five years ago that Taher, who has been practicing medicine in Gadsden since the early 1990s, had triple bypass surgery.