Follow explorer Mario Rigby on a 7,500-mile trek across the entire length of the African continent. Travelling on foot from Cape Town to Cairo, through South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt, Mario sought to understand the lives of African people better, to learn from them, sleeping where they slept, eating where they ate, living side-by-side, step-by-step.

Born in the Turks & Caicos islands of the Caribbean, he also sought to learn about his roots and inspire other black men and women that though they may be shamefully under-represented in the outdoor and adventure industries, they too can be explorers. nnn

But it was more than that too. At the age 30, Mario found himself lost. He was living in Canada, unhappy with his job, uncertain of his future, uncertain how he could make a difference, how he could live a life of meaning and purpose.

Then he remembered a hero from his childhood. Before T’Challa, otherwise known as the Black Panther, could become king he had to go on a journey, a ‘walkabout’ as he called it. He did this to learn how to be a better leader, a better person, to learn how to contribute to society and humanity as a whole. As a child Mario dreamed of doing the same thing, but as an adult he knew it was just a fairy tale. But what if it wasn’t? What if he too could go on a walkabout to learn about Africa, and himself, to change his life and start a new path?

The way was unclear. He had no guarantees and very little money. He was daunted by the prospect. But nonetheless he plucked up the courage, flew to Cape Town, and began his own walkabout. In doing so, he would inspires all of us that anything is possible. He would inspire us that dreams don’t have to be fairy tales.

Highlights include:

· Hear the inspirational story of how Mario changed his life by setting out on a ‘walkabout’ in search of answers about himself and his place in the world

· Find out how Mario became a Mozambique TV Star

· Kayak with him nearly 400-miles across Lake Malawi, dodging crocodiles and hippos, camping out on remote villages, many of which had never seen a foreigner before

· Walk among a troop of 1000 Gelada Baboons in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia

· Cross the deserts of Sudan, meeting the women who would later spark the revolution to overthrow the government, and the child refugees who were inspired by his story to find their own courage too

· Discover what Mario learned, the answers he came too and how the journey changed his life

Go and connect with Mario right now, his social media is awesome! Instagram & Twitter @mariorigby / Facebook @mariorigbyofficial.

He also posts really awesome You Tube videos from this adventure, and others: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnzaISaYOAlC1BcIUxAxifQ … and his website is www.mariorigby.com

Thank you to The Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this episode. Head over to www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/armchairto get a free month trail with unlimited streaming of 1000s of videos and audio … it’s a great way to support the show!

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Crossing Africa: a 7,500-mile trek from Cape Town to Cairo with Explorer Mario Rigby

Armchair Explorer

Crossing Africa: a 7,500-mile trek from Cape Town to Cairo with Explorer Mario Rigby