It all started in 1987, when Toni, having been turned down for national service because of a skin condition, left his home town of Pontresina, Switzerland, for Ecuador, to help in the wake of an earthquake north of Quito. He spent all his savings on the plane ticket. After three days of travel through difficult Amazonian terrain, Toni arrived at the village of Flor del Valle and concluded that what would really help those affected was a bridge.

Currently in Burma, Toni shows no sign of slowing down, despite contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome in 2002. The often-fatal disease attacks the body's nervous system. Although he has recovered, he still walks with a slight limp. Characteristically, Toni's emphasis remains on many people working together. He says: "Happiness is to see individuals of goodwill work together for a common goal."

The bridge that holds the most symbolic significance for him is one built across the Rio Lempa valley, between Honduras and El Salvador. The people of these two once-warring nations bridged the valley, and their differences, by working together. Toni explains: "Building bridges for poor people is the way I express my love for this world and the people who live in it."