Veteran completes 28-year journey home across four continents

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 16:48 · Archive

British Army veteran Karl Bushby has reached England after 28 years and 30,000 miles, swimming the English Channel from France.

Karl Bushby, a 57-year-old former paratrooper, reached England this week after swimming across the English Channel from France, completing the latest stage of an expedition spanning more than 30,000 miles and 29 countries. He spent roughly 20 hours in the water over three days before reaching Shakespeare Beach near Dover on 5 October. Bushby had not trained for the Channel crossing. After about an hour in the water, he was cramping and doubting whether he could finish, he told the BBC. 'Getting in the water that first day, I thought, have I taken too much of a bite here?' Bushby said. 'But you dig deep. Keep on keeping on. You find a rhythm.'

Bushby set out from Chile on 1 November 1998, with two rules: he would not use transportation including planes, trains, boats or cars to advance his expedition route, and he would not return home to Hull until he had finished. His route took him the length of South America, through North America and across the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia. Along the way, he trekked through the Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia, and in 2006 crossed the frozen Bering Strait on foot and over ice with Dimitri Kieffer, a French-American adventurer.

He now has roughly 250 miles left to walk before reuniting with his mother, whom he has not seen for 11 years.

How it is being reported

• British veteran completes 28-year journey home walking across four continentsBritish Army veteran Karl Bushby, 57, has returned to England after completing his 28-year journey across four continents without the use of public transportation.New York Post · 11 Oct, 16:33
• Veteran walked across four continents and just swam the English Channel to return homeBritish Army veteran Karl Bushby reached England after 28 years and 30,000 miles, but he still has 250 miles to walk to reunite with his mother in the port city of Hull.Fox News · 10 Oct, 22:32

In this story: Karl Bushby · British Army · Hull · England · France · Chile · Alaska · Russia

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