Elbert "Les" Knight

Dr. E. Leslie Knight, 72 Exercise Physiologist/ College Professor Dr. Les Knight, 72, passed away on June 26, 2016 after a courageous battle with Congestive Heart Failure. Les was born November 3, 1943 in Lakeland, Florida, the son of William Leslie and Wynelle Chapman Knight. As a youth, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and later encouraged his son to do the same. Dr. Knight received a bachelor""s degree from Florida Southern College, where he was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity, his Master""s degree from The University of Mississippi, and his Doctorate from The University of Southern Mississippi. He attained full professor status and was a Biology Department chair by his mid-thirties. He was also a pioneer in the field of exercise physiology, and his expertise was sought by Olympic programs around the world, which required him to travel to Egypt and China to work with their Olympic athletes. He is also credited with improving the performance of numerous world class athletes. He received the distinction of being a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine. In addition, for more than thirty-five years, he provided seminars certified by the American Medical Association for continuing education credit. Over the course of his career, Les published numerous books and scientific articles, many of which were adopted by universities and colleges. He also was one of three founders of The Tupelo Gumtree Race, now in its thirty-ninth year, and Mississippi""s largest and most famous run. The race draws runners from around the world, and is recognized by Runner""s World and Running Time magazines. Dr. Knight""s interests included jogging, snow skiing, cycling, fencing, and martial arts. He ran several marathons, including the 1976 Boston Marathon. In addition, he completed the Birkebeiner, the largest and longest cross country ski race in North America. Les also earned a black belt in two martial arts disciplines. Moreover, he enjoyed traveling on several European excursions with his wife, his favorite being a Porsche Treffen in Germany where they both earned the distinction of having driven The Autobahn at 140 mph. Finally, he was passionate about watching Ole Miss and Southern Miss football games with his son. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Barbara Sellers Knight, and his son Robb Leslie (Lisa Marie) Knight. In addition, he will be greatly missed by his two faithful Shih-tzus, Rendezvous and Savannah. The family will receive friends at Memorial Service at Heath Funeral Chapel, 328 S. Ingraham Ave., Lakeland on Thursday, June 30 at 4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the ASPCA. Service: 06/30/2016 Heath Funeral Chapel 328 South Ingraham Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33801