Igor Dotsenko aspires me to live every day to the fullest and I am so grateful to know he exists. The self-proclaimed simple man was born completely blind in Ukraine but he refuses to let his ailment stop him from greatness.
To know him is to love him.
I’ll be completely transparent here. I very recently discovered Dotsenko while scrolling my FYP on TikTok. I am still trying to figure him out. That mystery is part of what makes him so great.
He has already brought so much inner peace to my daily routine that I feel compelled to put you on!
Who is Igor Dotsenko?
That is a loaded question that I am not entirely sure how to answer. They call him ‘The Walrus Man’ because of his practice of cold water immersion. His ultimate goal is to appreciate every waking moment. He is a simple man and he wishes you health.
Dotsenko was born in 1989 in Smilne, a small village with a total population of approximately 700 in western Ukraine. He was born completely blind. A life-changing operation in Odessa at nine months old opened his eyes and allowed him to see, at least a little bit.
Against all odds, Dotsenko created a normal quality of life for himself. He went to school, partied at clubs and played competitive sports. It was a story of success, at which point he threw it all away.
Dotsenko started smoking and drinking to the point that it became an issue. The outside influences took him away from what matters most— nature, people and time.
And then, one day, “God saved him in the middle of the river” and presented him with a new lease on life.
Social media gave him a platform.
Cold water immersion became a big part of Igor Dotsenko’s daily routine. He tries to get out in nature for at least three dunks in open water at least once per day. That is where he first became popular on social media. Ukrainian winters are brutal. His cold plunges are extreme.
Dotsenko will literally break himself out from under a sheet of ice after a deep winter plunge. It is terrifying.
Inclement weather is actually scared of him, not the other way around.
Dotsenko evolved into something of a motivational speaker as his brand continued to grow on social media. That is where I found him. The following video is what introduced me to the simple man lifestyle:
Thank God for the day. Need more be said?
There is something deeply therapeutic to Igor Dotsenko’s videos. They serve as a great reminder for gratitude. Every day is a blessing. We are all but pawns in a much greater scheme.
Whenever life gets hard, Dotsenko’s messaging keeps a greater perspective. All we can control is what we can control. Everything else will unfold as it will.
I aspire to be a simple man. I don’t know if I am going to immerse myself in cold water under a sheet of ice any time soon but I fully subscribe to this line of thought.
Even if I do not fully understand Igor Dotsenko or what he does, I am glad to have discovered this unique character on the journey we call life. I hope you feel the same. Welcome, simple man.