Karl Bushby, the Briton walking the longest unbroken path in human history, is finally back on home soil, 28 years after he set off on his epic 30,000-mile journey. His extraordinary adventure, known as the Goliath Expedition, is coming to an end after he completed a swim of the English Channel.
Bushby, a former soldier, 57, left Chile, South America, on 1 November 1998. He thought that his walk around the world would take 12 years; he is back 28 years later. He was determined to follow two self-imposed rules: not to use transport to advance and not to return home until the journey was complete.
Channel swim marks final hurdle
The Channel crossing was the final, major hurdle of his journey back to his childhood home in Hull. He emerged from the water to say: "It feels good to have UK soil under my feet after all these years. It hasn't been easy, and that's part of the point; proving I'm more capable than I give myself credit for."
The renowned director Werner Herzog, who is making a film about the amazing journey, met him on the beach at the end of his Channel swim. Karl, firmly on course to achieve his goal of becoming the first person to circumnavigate the world on foot, said: "All of us can accomplish more than we will ever imagine."
Journey through continents and challenges
He became the first Briton to cross the Bering Strait, the treacherous 58-mile frozen sea between North America and Russia, on his walk around the world. Covid, visa restrictions and war have delayed him. On occasion, he had to live in Mexico to save money. But he returned to the spot where he had ended the last stretch of his walk.
Sponsors contributed to the journey costs before the 2007/8 financial crash. Since then, Karl has largely self-funded it through speaking engagements and his book, "Giant Steps".
His mum Angela, a retired factory worker, plans to be waiting at her gate when he gets back in November. She joked: "Once I have given him a hug, I will say to him: 'What time do you call this, Karl?'"
Final miles and homecoming
Her son swam for 20 hours over three days to cross the Channel, making landfall at Shakespeare Beach, just south of Dover on Monday. HM Coastguard said it "liaised with French authorities and maritime sector partners to ensure safety protocols were met". Karl's team said a small gathering of friends and family, including his father, Keith Bushby, a former SAS soldier, welcomed him on the beach.
The adventurer covered more than 30,000 miles (48,000km), including 29 countries, and his exploits will be featured in Herzog's feature-length documentary about the journey titled Walk of Life.
Karl walked the length of South America, crossed the treacherous Darien Gap and continued north to Alaska. From there he crossed the Bering Strait on foot, swimming where necessary. He traversed Siberia and the rest of Asia before swimming across the Caspian Sea, a swim that took 31 days to complete. He crossed into Europe last year and reached the English Channel last month.
The journey was dogged by political and visa issues and Covid which stopped him in his tracks. In June, Channel Tunnel bosses vetoed his request for access to a service tunnel, which he said left him with no other option than to swim. Last year, he felt it was "definitely time to call it a day", adding: "I don't want to keep this going for much longer." He is due back in Hull by early November.
