The “Invictus” Victor Asenov

“Doctors told me, ‘Why are you engaging in sports? Why don’t you just sit at home?’ They told me I should not ride a bike or do things like that, because I am blind.” But he never let them discourage him from what he loves the most — to prove everybody who does not believe in him wrong.

 

His full name is Victor Asenov, masseur and motivational speaker by profession, but an ultramarathon runner at heart. He is by far the most dedicated person I have seen in my life. Nothing can stop him from pursuing his goals, not even the fact that he was born blind.

 

The first time I saw him was on March 3, the National Liberation Day of Bulgaria. He was one of the random people interviewed by the reporters. His story left me speechless.

 

He has just finished riding his tandem bike for more than 200 km between Sofia and Shipka with the sole purpose of bringing more attention to the only school for guide dogs in Bulgaria.

 

I felt inspired by the way he talked and acted. He is one of those rare people whose genuine dedication captivates you instantly. For the next three days, the only thing I could think about was the story behind that person.

 

Luckily, when I approached him, he was more than happy to arrange a meeting. Two weeks later, I was standing in front of his apartment in Sofia, nervously drinking coffee, waiting for our meeting.

 

When Victor opened the door, I was immediately greeted by his guide dog, Tadi, a brown Labrador retriever that followed him everywhere he went.

 

 

He started telling me all his fascinating stories while we were travelling together to meet with his bike mechanic.

 

“I am the only blind mountain marathoner in Bulgaria and one of the very few worldwide,” said Victor at the beginning of our talk.

 

His passion for adventures was instilled by his grandmother. As a child, she took him on hikes and picnics in the mountains, sparking a lifelong fascination with nature. At 18, he started hiking in Bulgaria’s mountains with organized groups. Each hike pushed him further, leading him to climb Bulgarian peaks such as Musala, Botev, and Vihren multiple times.

 

In 2019, he set his sights even higher, reaching 5,200 meters in Nepal at Lake Tilicho to test his and his previous dog Hidalgo’s altitude tolerance.

 

Yet it was not until 2022 that he discovered his current passion. During a mountain climbing event held in memory of Bulgarian alpinist Boyan Petrov, one of the event organizers recommended he try running.

 

“I had never run before, and I didn’t know what it was like to run,” Victor admitted. Fortunately, the challenge did not scare him even a bit.

 

His first attempt was at the ‘Svetulki’ park run, an initiative dedicated to the guide dog school. He soon became a regular at the weekly 5km runs in Sofia’s South Park.

 

Later, he decided to up his level even more. He transitioned to mountain running, embracing the steep climbs and challenging descents.

 

“Mountains inspire me,” he put it simply. For Victor, the limits are only in people’s heads, and their role is to be shattered.

 

“Every time I hear that someone has done something, I wonder what stops me from doing the same. That’s why I say that other people motivate me — I see what they do, and I think — why wouldn’t I do the same?”

 

This mindset made him push even harder in everything he was doing. Every time someone doubted his abilities, Victor managed to prove them wrong. Where everybody else saw an obstacle, he saw an opportunity. That is why he said that blindness has never restricted him from doing all the things he loves.

 

One such example is his 460 km tandem bike trip from Sofia to Shipka and back to Sofia.

 

 

Victor met Ivan, his partner for the ride, for the first time only two days before their trip. He said that their lack of time for preparation only increased the motivation to reach their destination.

 

“When someone tells me something is too hard or impossible for me, I always reply, ‘Look what’s going to happen now,’” he said with a determined smile. No wonder he likes to call himself “the Invictus,” the Latin word for undefeated.

 

Despite his resilience, Victor has also faced deep personal struggles. Though he harbors a huge desire to be a father, Victor is not able to have children. Unfortunately, he is not able to adopt a child too due to institutional barriers in Bulgaria. These challenges led to the end of his relationship.

 

He also shared how several doctors have discouraged him from his passion throughout the years, leading to moments of absolute discouragement during which he did not even want to leave his home.

 

Despite coming face to face with such issues, he stated that all the difficulties he encountered during his life only encouraged him to seek more and challenge himself even further.

 

“All the difficulties I’ve faced have shaped who I am today,” he reflected.

 

Victor channels his relentless spirit into his advocacy for the guide dog school. He dedicated all his activities in March to the cause, trying to raise awareness of the school through all his initiatives.

 

 

Recently, he even met with Bulgaria’s national football team, which donated a signed shirt to be auctioned in support of the school. Furthermore, a few days after our meeting, he fulfilled a challenge called “Everesting.” He climbed the highest peak of Vitosha — Cherni Vrah — 19 times in a row.

 

 

His ambitions, however, stretch far beyond Bulgaria’s borders. He said his short-term goals are to participate in more and more difficult ultramarathons in the next one to two years. He aims to participate in a 250km run in Greece, and other similar ultramarathons in Spain and Portugal. He has also set his eyes on climbing Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, in the next three or four years.

 

His ultimate dream and long-term goal? To climb one of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. “There is a very serious preparation needed to climb one of these peaks, and the fact is that I am far from ready to do it.”

 

When we arrived at the bike service, the mechanic Deyan greeted Victor as if they were brothers, telling him he had managed to repair his bicycle. Before the end of our conversation, however, Victor wanted to spread his message:

“Find what you love and do it as often as possible. I can’t sing, but that doesn’t stop me from singing with friends and enjoying myself. People should never give up. They should do sports, and they should always smile. Because happy people not only feel younger, but they also look younger, inside and out. And that’s something worth fighting for.”

 

After he picked up his bike, Victor demonstrated his life philosophy in action. He suggested we ride the tandem bike together. At first, I was nervous and fell off it the first few times. Despite that, he always kept encouraging me to continue.

 

 

We ended up riding the bike together on the streets of Sofia for the next half an hour. That moment made me realize that Victor was right — the only things needed in order to achieve your goals are the right mindset, tons of motivation, and, of course, the right mentor.

 

 

If you want to support Victor’s cause, you can donate to the school for guide dogs in Sofia by clicking here.