South African explorer and athlete Mike Horn accomplished a unique feat: a solo journey around the world along the equator, using only his own resources. His treacherous progression along latitude 0 was followed passionately by television viewers the world over. He left Gabon on June 2, 1999 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean by trimaran. Horn then traveled from Brazil to Ecuador by foot, bicycle and canoe, and then traversed the Amazon jungle and the Andes Cordillera. Crossing the Pacific Ocean took him to Indonesia, via the Galapagos Islands. Journeying through Borneo and Sumatra jungles by foot and sailboat, Mike Horn then continued on by trimaran across the Indian Ocean. The last leg took him from Somalia to Gabon, where he arrived, exhausted, on October 28, 2000, after a 17-month voyage.

Born in Johannesburg, Mike Horn studied at the University of Stellenbosch and worked for his uncle's fruit and vegetable business. But this monotonous life did not satisfy him and in 1993 he decided to seek out adventure, leaving all of this belongings to his friends at a big going-away party. He took a flight at random, which brought him to Zurich and Mike Horn has lived in Switzerland ever since.

The Swiss Alps gave him every opportunity to fulfill himself. He soon became an extreme sport instructor for No Limits, a company located in Les Marécottes, Valais, which offers extreme activities such as rock climbing, hydrospeed, rap jumping and canyoning. There is where he met his wife, a New Zealander, with whom he settled in Les Moulins, near Château-d'Oex. He starting becoming known to the public for his crazy feats, such as the 6,700-kilometer descent of the Amazon by hydrospeed - solo and unassisted. In 1994, Mike's descent of the Mont Blanc glacier by hydrospeed granted him membership to the Sector No Limits Team, which unites extreme athletes.

Today, Mike Horn leads the No Limits Outdoor Activity Centre and lives with his wife Cathy and their two daughters, Annika and Jessica, in Château-d'Oex, where he finds all the peace and quiet needed to prepare for new challenges.