British adventurer Karl Bushby returns to UK after 28-year journey

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 7 Oct, 10:55 · Archive

Karl Bushby has returned to the UK after swimming the English Channel to complete a 28-year expedition that began in Chile in 1998.

Karl Bushby, a 57-year-old British adventurer, has returned to the UK after nearly 28 years away, arriving at Shakespeare Beach near Dover on Monday. He completed the final stage of his epic expedition by swimming across the English Channel from France, with the outlets reporting that he required special permission to make this crossing.

Bushby began his journey, known as the Goliath Expedition, from Chile in November 1998. His aim was to become the first person to continuously circumnavigate the world on foot. He expected the journey to take around 12 years but instead spent 28 years travelling through 29 countries, covering between 30,000 and 36,000 miles depending on the source. Throughout his expedition, he adhered to two self-imposed rules: not to use transport to advance his position, and not to return home until the journey was complete.

Upon reaching UK soil, Bushby said: "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. All of us can accomplish more than we will ever imagine." He was greeted at the beach by family and friends, as well as acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog and his crew, who are documenting the expedition for a feature-length documentary titled Walk Of Life.

The Mirror reports that the Channel crossing was the final major hurdle of his journey back to his childhood home in Hull. GB News notes that months of indecision had previously surrounded how Bushby would cross from France to Britain, which almost resulted in a less triumphant conclusion to his expedition. Bushby is now due to travel to Hull, where his 28-year adventure will officially come to an end.

How it is being reported

• Back in Blighty, around the world adventurer Karl Bushby who walked 30,000 miles in 28 yearsKarl Bushby's extraordinary adventure - known as the Goliath Expedition - is coming to an end after he completed a swim of the English Channel and stepped back on to UK soilThe Mirror · 7 Oct, 10:38
• British explorer returns to UK after 28 years and 36,000 miles by swimming across English ChannelA British adventurer who has spent close to three decades walking around the world has finally returned to the UK after swimming across the English Channel in a triumphant climax to his journey. Karl Bushby, 57, arrived at Shakespeare Beach, south of Dover, on Monday after completing the Channel crossing to end a 36,000-mile expedition that began in Chile in November 1998. His ambition was to become the first person to continuously circumnavigate the globe on foot, which saw him travel through 29 countries, overcoming a series of obstacles which repeatedly forced him to alter his route. Now…GB News · 7 Oct, 10:33
• British adventurer who has travelled 36,000 miles around the world finally lands back in UK 28 years later after swimming the English ChannelKarl Bushby, 57, started his global odyssey from Chile in November 1998 with the simple aim of becoming the first person to continuously circumnavigate the world on foot.Daily Mail · 6 Oct, 18:16

In this story: Karl Bushby · Chile · English Channel · Dover · Hull · Werner Herzog · France

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem