76-Year-Old Blacksmith Walks Across Continents

At 76, most people are slowing down, but Sarsenbay Kotyrashov is just getting started on the journey of a lifetime.

The Kazakh blacksmith spent decades working with hot iron in his workshop, never venturing far from home. Then in 2022, at age 72, he decided it was finally time to see the world on his own terms.

Kotyrashov started by walking across his entire country. His 8,000-kilometer route through Kazakhstan took six months, ending at the Caspian Sea. Instead of heading home, he realized he could keep going.

Since then, the man now known as Ulytauman has walked through Russia, the Caucasus region, Turkey, Mongolia, and China, where he stood atop the Great Wall. In 2026, he secured funding and a Schengen visa to walk 3,000 kilometers through five European countries in just 53 days, from Belgrade to Paris.

His distinctive look has made him recognizable along his routes. People spot the lean, strong figure in a signature leather hat, pulling a suitcase covered in stickers from every place he's visited. Strangers stop him for selfies and post about him on social media.

The journey hasn't been easy. Kotyrashov once spent three and a half days in the wilderness without food or water. "If you have the will and desire to live, you can endure anything," he says.

Why This Inspires

Kotyrashov's story demolishes the myth that adventure has an expiration date. He's proving that the desire to explore, learn, and push boundaries doesn't fade with age if you refuse to let it.

His goal is bigger than personal satisfaction. By walking more than 40,000 kilometers after turning 75, he hopes to enter the Guinness World Records and show others what's possible when you stop making excuses.

Now he's preparing for his most ambitious trek yet: walking across eight US states from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast in 2027. "I don't consider myself old," Kotyrashov says with a mischievous smile. "Until I complete this plan and make it into the Guinness World Records, I won't consider myself old."

Sometimes the greatest adventures begin exactly when we think it's too late to start.