Mario Rigby is a Canadian-Turks and Caicos Islander adventure explorer who is currently based in Toronto. He completed an epic walk from Cape Town to Cairo by crossing Africa. But did you know how long it took him to travel on foot?
Mario Rigby started to walk from Cape Town to Cairo in 2015. It took him two years and 7,456 miles to complete his walk. He was often greeted with kindness in most villages and was offered free lodging and food during his journey.
Who is Mario Rigby?
On November 24, 1985, Mario Rigby was born in Grand Turk Island and Turks and Caicos Islands. He is the oldest of two sons and is of Jamaican and Bahamian descent. After his brother was born, their family related to Stuttgart, Germany, where they stayed until they moved to the Caribbean. They then relocated to Hamilton, Ontario.
Rigby ran in competitive track and field for Turks and Caicos since he was 14 years old. He competed in several world championship and IAAF tournaments. He moved to London, Ontario, when he was 18 years old and attended Western University. Later on, he moved to Toronto and opened his own gym downtown, where he also became a fitness trainer. (Source: Radio Canada International)
The Cape Town to Cairo Adventure
When Rigby decided to walk from Cape Town in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt, the first person he told his plans to was his mother, and she supported him a hundred percent.
She even went as far as saying that if I broke my leg, I should become the first person to cross Africa by wheelchair.
Mario Rigby
The journey was fondly called Crossing Africa, and it took him two years to complete. He walked about 7,456 miles which is equivalent to 131,225 American football fields. He trekked through eight countries in the process. This included; South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. He also went through a few rivers and lakes on a kayak in the process.
Rigby completed the journey physically intact but also filled with experience. The walk across Africa quite inspired the adventurer because he wanted to show the world the positivity he experienced in the continent and not the suffering and poverty.
We only get the extremes when it comes to Africa. We never hear about everyday life. I took my backpack, put on boots, and just started walking along the main road that I knew would take me where I needed to go. I think that Africans are a prime example of humanity’s goodness.
Mario Rigby
After walking through eight countries in the past two years, Rigby declared that Tanzania was his favorite. For him, the country’s diversity truly gave it an advantage in his ranking. The beaches, deserts, and forests were beautiful. But the country that blew his expectations away was Sudan. He found that the locals were very hospitable and always invited him for tea. He was even offered to stay at a local’s house upon their first meeting.
Rigby has already left Africa and is preparing for more adventures! (Source: Traveler Marriott)