Overview
- Karl Bushby arrived on foot at his mother’s house in Hull on Monday and was met by hundreds of supporters, the Lord Mayor and a congratulatory message read from Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
- He began the Goliath Expedition from Punta Arenas, Chile, in November 1998 and says he covered about 31,000 miles (roughly 50,000 km) over 28 years to get home.
- Bushby kept a personal rule against using motorised transport to advance the route and used extreme crossings when land routes were closed, including the Bering Strait, a 31‑day float/swim across the Caspian Sea and an English Channel swim.
- Visa refusals, detentions, the 2008 financial crisis that cost sponsors and pandemic travel bans repeatedly halted progress and turned an expected multi‑year trip into a near three‑decade odyssey.
- On return he reunited with his mother, son and newly met granddaughter and said he plans public appearances and a speaking tour while a feature film of the expedition is being produced even as he faces practical challenges from limited funds and age‑related wear.