Serge Roetheli gave up most of his worldly possessions to travel the world helping children.

9 years ago, Serge Roetheli and his wife, Nicole, from Switzerland, sold their possessions, quit their jobs, said goodbye to their family and friends to set off on a 5 year journey around the world. "We decided to change our life just like everyone on the planet has some dreams, you know and our dream was quite a big dream and we decide to take the risk to lose everything before we know if we will win one step," Mr. Roetheli said.

Roetheli's dream was to raise money to help prevent children from going blind. Mr. Roetheli said people could purchase miles for children. From 2000 to 2005, this former boxing champion turned long distance runner ran more than 25,000 miles. Roetheli said he would run 25 to 30 miles a day, while his wife followed closely on a Yamaha Motorcycle. "I decided to run because it's so strange to run, you know. That's the price I accept to pay to be free."

Mr. and Mrs. Roetheli traveled in the Sahara Desert, South Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, South America, Morocco, the United States and Canada. Although Mr. Roetheli found the journey rewarding, he recalls some low points of the trip, too. His mother passed away while he was traveling and the couple encountered health problems throughout the trip.

Some of the projects helped by the husband and wife's mission include an orphanage in Colombia and a cataract clinic catering to the poor. All together, they raised nearly $300,000. "You don't change the world with what we are raising, but what we did for the kids is very important. When you have the chance to be born in a a rich country, in good shape, never forget sometimes to stay just kid-inspired about the beauty of the world." Mr. Roetheli adds, "I have no money, but I'm so rich."

Mr. Roetheli is spending several weeks in Kansas City, with family and promoting a documentary about his journey. To learn more about Mr. Roetheli, his wife, Nicole, and their documentary, click here.