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Alex's circumnavigation as captain of S/V Bubbles, his love for children, and his
larger-than-life aspirations to make an impact on the world are our inspiration.
Alex Chased His Dream
In 2008, a farm boy from Indiana named Alex Rust quit his lucrative job at The Chicago Board of Trade and drove to Florida to chase a dream. He traded his old minivan for a small sailboat and taught himself to sail with a 'Sailing For Dummies' book. Alex soon set sail from Florida with a few friends headed towards the Bahamas… and never looked back. What followed was a four-year adventure that took Alex to the farthest corners of the globe where he discovered, among many other things, that the beauty of humanity transcends wealth, language, and location.
Inspiring Kids Along the Way
Alex always preferred a road less traveled. He could have taken the quick route, or even the easy route, but instead Alex chose to sail around the world to as many hard-to-reach islands and rivers as he could find. Many of these places could only be accessed by boat, making him a rare visitor to these jewels of the world. Each stop was an opportunity for Alex to meet the local community, especially to give the kids presents and boat rides. His electric energy could be seen all over the smiling faces of every kid, making his unique and sometimes dangerous journey well worth it.
Finding a New Purpose in India
After returning home from his off-the-beaten-path adventure, Alex felt a loss in his heart. He had always dreamed of having his own family full of many kids, but his journey around the world showed him there were already so many kids waiting for someone to help them chase their dreams. This realization pushed Alex to the remote corners of India, where he searched for a way to help rural orphanages find the support they needed. Tragically, while exploring ways to do so, Alex's journey was cut short in May of 2013. This final adventure was the launching point for the mission of the Chasing Bubbles Foundation and where our first project launched.