He contracted malaria, dodged bullets with government soldiers in a war zone and was jailed for several days near a small village because police didn’t believe him when he explained who he was.Adventure traveller Mario Rigby also tested the limits of his physical and emotional stamina when he trekked 12,000 kilometres northward across eight African countries for two years, by foot and kayak. He started in late 2015 and finished in February, taking an eastern route from South Africa to Egypt.Africa, he says is a place that has been depicted by the West only as dangerous, violent and beset by poverty.Rigby saw some of that downside while he was there; he isn’t sugar-coating his experience.But the incredible warmth and compassion from so many people he met left the biggest impression on him, he said in an interview after his return.“Everywhere I went they take the time for you. They offer you tea and say ‘come sit down with us,’ or ‘come to my home, I want to introduce you to my family,’” he says.He later adds: “It’s almost like you have to fight them to not be so nice to you.”And so even though he faced some challenges, the Toronto resident fell in love with the continent and plans to return for another journey later this year, this time along the western side.Rigby, 32, a personal and group fitness trainer in peak condition, flew from Pearson airport to Cape Town, South Africa, in late November 2015 to begin his voyage.Among the items he packed were long-sleeved shirts, sturdy boots, malaria pills, bug spray and a tent. He also brought a video camera (later lost in a river) and an iPhone powered by a portable solar energy pack. He used the phone to record and document his journey and post stories and videos to his Instagram account and website.He chose Africa, a place he’d never been, in part because as a Black person he wanted to inspire other Black people — particularly the young peop ...
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