Karl Bushby returns to Britain after 28-year global trek and Channel swim
British adventurer Karl Bushby has completed an extraordinary 28-year global odyssey, swimming the English Channel to return to the UK after departing from Chile in November 1998. The 57-year-old set out with the ambitious goal of becoming the first person to continuously walk around the world, and after travelling through 29 countries across 31,000 miles, the finish line is now in sight. His remarkable achievement represents one of the most impressive demonstrations of human endurance and perseverance in modern exploration.
Bushby's odyssey presented formidable obstacles, including visa complications and refusal of Channel Tunnel access, which French officials declined citing safety concerns and directional restrictions. In 2024, he swam 186 miles across the Caspian Sea to bypass Russia and Iran amid geopolitical tensions; he also crossed the Darién Gap and became the first British person to traverse the Bering Strait. Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog is documenting his extraordinary journey in a feature titled 'Walk of Life', with Bushby expected to reach his family home in Hull, East Yorkshire, by November 1.
- British adventurer Karl Bushby completes 28-year, 31,000-mile continuous world circumnavigation
- Swims English Channel after leaving Chile in 1998 to achieve unprecedented exploration
- Overcame visa restrictions and Channel Tunnel refusal to reach family home in Hull
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Karl Bushby is a British adventurer who set out from Chile in 1998 intending to become the first person to walk continuously around the world. Over nearly three decades, he has travelled through 29 countries covering roughly 31,000 miles on foot—an achievement representing one of the most impressive demonstrations of human endurance in modern exploration.
The expedition has demanded considerable adaptation to Bushby's original plan. Visa complications, French refusal of Channel Tunnel access, and geopolitical barriers have forced him to find creative solutions, including swimming across the Caspian Sea in 2024 to navigate around Russia and Iran, and becoming the first British person to cross the Bering Strait. These obstacles have tested his determination but not halted his progress.
Bushby's remarkable journey has captured public attention and inspired a feature-length documentary by filmmaker Werner Herzog, titled 'Walk of Life'. After nearly 28 years away from home, he expects to reach his family home in Hull, East Yorkshire, by November, completing an extraordinary personal quest.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “British adventurer who has travelled 31,000 miles around the world finally lands back in UK 28 years later after swimming the English Channel”.