Ashgabat resident travels a 650 km distance over 17 days for self-development
An enthusiast from Ashgabat, to advocate for a healthy lifestyle and race walking made a 17-day hike from the city of Turkmenabat to Aşyk Aydyn pir, the place of pilgrimage of creative people and benefactor of singers and musicians, located in Kounyaurgench, having covered 650 km.
For many who met him along the way, Ilmyrat Ashyrov has been known as the famous TV host and artist as he hosted the popular children’s sports program “Kim çalasyn?” (“Who is the fastest?”) on the Turkmen Youth TV channel. Ilmyrat shared the story of first long journey in an interview with an ORIENT correspondent.
... In front of me, there was sitting a man who will celebrate his 57th birthday soon, shining with joy and life energy, and his emotional narrative drew real films.
According to Ilmyrat, it all started with a hobby for walking. First, he used to walk a 5 km distance daily, then his wife joined him to have a 2-hour walking every morning, after which she used to go off to work at school.
“Over time, the distance of my walks has enlarged, I began to travel around Ahal region and learnt the depth of folk life, where hospitality is the law,” Ilmyrat says. “On the way, I met with many people of different professions, we exchanged contacts, and then they often called me to learn where I am now, if I need anything, offered any help, informed thier friends and relatives about the route of my travel so that they accept me as a guest. This is a feature of our people, which I already knew about, but I rediscovered it for myself as a traveler.”
“During the marathon, you can also rediscover the historical and natural sites of our beautiful land, its flora and fauna. However, the meetings with the local people, who are amazing and openhearted, are the most important and unforgettable feeling always. I’ll keep the memory about them forever,” Ilmyrat added.
As to the purpose of his walking trip, he admitted that he simply wanted to try himself if he able to overcome distances in walking tour for self-development as a promoter of a sporting lifestyle.
During the travel, telephone consultations and advises by Batyr Abdullayev, a well-known traveler in Turkmenistan, as well as listening to the national classical and bakhshi music were of great help to him.
According to our guest, when a person has a goal, the difficulty in achieving it only gives spirit and valuable experience. In the near future, he is planning a new travel, the route of which to start at the Monument of Neutrality in Ashgabat and to end at the Mausoleum of Khoja Yusuf Hamadani, Bayram-Aly district, Mary province.
As Ilmyrat believes, there is nothing impossible. The main thing is to have a will power and start doing it, as a person has unlimited abilities in this life. His message to everyone who wants to join a healthy and sporting lifestyle: first, believe in yourself, believe that you can do everything, and, second, sports hobby is not an obstacle, but rather support and stimulus in everyday life, work, and family. As the truth remains unchanged: “A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”, it is a good start in both personal life and professional career. In this regard, for “beginners, he would recommend to practice a one-hour walking every day.
Ilmyrat shared his “secret” on a new project for the next year, when Turkmenistan will celebrate its 30th anniversary of Independence. He would like to gather a group of 30 people and to kick-off the tour 30 days before the anniversary celebrations, by passing a 30-km distance every day along with organization promotion events.
