Step by step and stroke by stroke, Karl Bushby is close to completing an epic journey, which began in 1998 in Chile: the 57-year-old British explorer has returned to his homeland after completing a trip around the world on foot (and swimming). An incredible feat, completed after 28 long years and without using any means of transport.
A 28 year long journey
In recent days the former army paratrooper touched the British shore of Shakespeare beach, south of Dover, after swimming across the English Channel. On his journey Bushby traveled approximately 50 thousand kilometres, “passing” through 29 countries and following his strict rules which included not using any means of transport and not being able to return home until he had completed the challenge.
The 57-year-old crossed the globe, breaking record after record: he made the first east-to-west crossing of the Bering Strait on foot and was the first person to swim 184 miles across the Caspian Sea. But there were also numerous obstacles and borderline situations, such as the clashes in Colombia, the restrictions during the pandemic period and the difficulties in Russia, which initially denied him a visa. Last year he returned to Europe and, still on foot, last month he arrived near the English Channel. An already incredible journey, which will only end when Bushby returns to his mother’s home in Hull. The arrival at the “finish line” is scheduled for next month.
The English Channel
The 57-year-old initially wanted to walk through the Channel Tunnel rather than swim to Dover, but his request was rejected for safety reasons, so he had to obtain a permit to swim the crossing. Even receiving this “pass” was not easy, given that the French authorities only allow swimming crossings from the United Kingdom and not from France. After obtaining a special permit, the explorer had to coordinate his actions with both the French and British coast guards, without making the exact date of the event public for security reasons.
After 20 hours in the water fighting the waves, Bushby arrived safely on shore, where his father, brothers and some friends welcomed him. “It hasn’t been easy – he told the British media – and that’s part of the point: to demonstrate that we are more capable than we ourselves believe. We can all achieve much more than we imagine. It’s a great feeling to have British soil under our feet again after all these years.”
The last stretch
On social media Bushby published photos and videos of the undertaking, officially titled Goliath Expedition: he appeared tired, but smiling after arriving on the beach in southern England. Now all that remains is the last stretch to Hull, his city of origin in the north of the country, where his mother’s house is located: “I left that place 28 years ago and that’s where we’ll finish – he reiterated -. It’s about 400 km from here, so I have to get busy”.