British adventurer Karl Bushby reached his mother’s doorstep in Hull on 2 November 2026, completing a 50,000-kilometre journey across four continents. The 57-year-old former paratrooper had received a welcome from up to 1,000 people in the city centre before finishing at her home.
Bushby departed Punta Arenas, Chile, in November 1998 with $500, expecting his Goliath Expedition to last 12 years. Two self-imposed rules governed the undertaking: he could not use transport to advance, and he had to return home on foot. Visa restrictions, severe weather and the pandemic ultimately stretched the expedition to 28 years; Russia alone took almost a decade to negotiate.
Where walking was impossible, Bushby swam. Political obstacles blocking routes through Russia and Iran forced a 31-day crossing of the Caspian Sea, during which he relied on a flotation vest and wetsuit. He crossed the English Channel in early October, reaching Britain before continuing towards Hull.
His return brought a reunion with his mother, Angela, and his family, including his 36-year-old son, Adam. He also met his 12-year-old granddaughter for the first time. Thanking those who had helped, Bushby characterised the achievement as a global effort rather than an individual accomplishment.
Although sponsors supported the expedition, strangers repeatedly provided meals, shelter and care. A doctor’s family in Peru nursed him through a stomach infection, while people with very little shared their food. Filmmaker Werner Herzog accompanied the homecoming with a crew for his feature-length documentary, “Walk of Life”.
