Karl Bushby ends 28-year, 50,000km global trek in Hull

Goliath Expedition covers 50,000 km across four continents

Karl Bushby began his Goliath Expedition on November 1, 1998, in Chile. He was 29 years old when he started the trek. The journey covered 50,000 kilometers, or about 31,000 miles.

Bushby crossed four continents and 30 countries during the 28-year trip. He estimated the trek required 75 million steps. Throughout the entire distance, he pushed a two-wheeled cart.

He followed two strict rules to guide the expedition. He refused to use any machine, such as a boat or plane, to advance his progress. He also committed to never returning home, even if family or friends died, until he finished his original goal.

Bushby overcomes imprisonment and extreme conditions

In 2006, Karl Bushby and French explorer Dimitri Kieffer crossed the 56-mile ice-covered Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia. The pair nearly lost their lives during the crossing. They survived near-death plunges, lost supplies when their sleds fell into the sea, and encountered a polar bear. Following the crossing, they were airlifted to safety, then jailed and faced deportation for illegal entry into Russia.

A visa refusal by Russia forced Bushby to pause his trek. He also served jail time in Panama after entering the country without a visa.

Bushby faced life-threatening situations including armed gangs in the Darien Gap. The COVID-19 pandemic caused additional delays, during which he lived for a period at a base in Mexico.

Final leg includes English Channel swim and homecoming

British immigration officers checked his passport upon his arrival from France.

He pushed the cart that had accompanied him for about 25 years during the final steps of his walk. Bushby arrived in Hull and went to his mother's home.

He embraced his mother, Angela Bushby, on the street outside her home. He reunited with Angela, whom he had not seen in a decade.

The final leg of his journey included a reunion with his 36-year-old son, Adam, and his 12-year-old granddaughter, whom he had never met before.

Adventurer reflects on the journey and future

In a September interview with AFP, Bushby said, "I've got to try and get established in the grown-up world again".

And it's an odd feeling. And I almost feel guilt". He added that other parts of the world now feel more like home.

Addressing the crowd, he said, "It’s been a week of lasts… This is the last of the last few steps almost to my mother’s house". He also stated, "They say it takes a village but literally it took a world to get me here".

People constantly underestimate themselves. Dream big.

Werner Herzog produces documentary on Bushby's life

German filmmaker Werner Herzog is producing a feature-length documentary about the journey, titled "Walk of Life".