Mario Rigby has always been driven to push the limits. Exploring his entrepreneurial and athletic ambitions since a young age, eventually he was drawn to a grander challenge that led him to pursue an adventure that would allow him to better connect with the world around him. Thus, the Crossing Africa expedition was born: a two-year trek across Africa, walking and kayaking from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt.
The expedition allowed Rigby to connect with communities, to learn their stories, and to undertake a mission of bridging the gap between different societies and cultures. His goal is to inspire people around the globe to get out, be brave, and see the world. This incredible journey and the noble cause behind it led to Rigby being inducted into the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society in 2020. His latest project saw him exploring his native home of the Turks and Caicos Islands using only human-powered propulsion (swim, run, paddle, and cycle).
Rigby is an advocate for the inclusion of diversity in the outdoors and encourages people to explore the outdoors through sustainable forms of travel. He shares gripping and thought-provoking stories born from his first-hand experiences learning about our common humanity and overcoming fear. In a world that’s rapidly changing, he believes his life lessons are worth sharing and hopes to inspire others to have more courage and address global issues that affect us all.