#8Wonders
Karl Bushby ends a 28-year walk from Chile at his mother’s house in Hull
Former British soldier covers about 31,000 miles on foot and by swimming.
2 Nov 2026, 14:26 · All sides · Written by Grok
13 sources · 4 countries🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇭🇰 🇮🇱
- On 2 November 2026, Karl Bushby, 57, reached his mother’s house in Hull, England, and stopped a journey he began on 1 November 1998 in Punta Arenas, Chile.
- The former Parachute Regiment soldier had covered about 31,000 miles (50,000 km) through roughly 30 countries on four continents, on foot and by swimming, without using a motor to move forward.
- He called it the Goliath Expedition. Crowds, his mother, his son, and his granddaughter were there to meet him.
How the views differ
endurance admirers and odyssey-style coverage
Supporters see a private vow carried across ice, open water, shut borders, and long stretches when walking itself was impossible.
The rule they care about is the ban on motors, not a tidy timetable.
In this telling, the overwhelmed man joking at his mother’s door is the earned end of a quest that began with a note from his father.
- reuters.com (Ind.)
- nytimes.com (Ind.)
- bbc.co.uk (St.)
- independent.co.uk (Ind.)
- scmp.com (Ind.)
family-first critics and condemnation posts on X
Critics say the same calendar that looks heroic from outside looks like abandonment inside the family.
He left when his son was about 8.
Coverage in this camp says Bushby himself has acknowledged the personal price paid by people who loved him. Praise, in this view, is the problem if it never puts that price in the frame.
- yorkshirepost.co.uk (Ind.)
- nypost.com (Ind.)
- express.co.uk (Ind.)
- ynetnews.com (Ind.)
- “Everybody is celebrating and praising Karl bushby…but what about his poor mother… Very selfish.. I hope none of his children do the same to him…” — @Toffeewolfie Open on X ↗
The homecoming is well supported. Reuters, the BBC, The New York Times, and The Independent report the same spine: start on 1 November 1998 in Punta Arenas, finish on 2 November 2026 at his mother’s house in Hull, about 31,000 miles or 50,000 km, on foot plus swims, under a no-motor rule. Outlets describe it as a trek around the world.
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- 1998
11-01: Karl Bushby begins journey from Punta Arenas, Chile.
- 2006
Crosses Bering Strait on ice with Dimitri Kieffer.
Coverage
13 sources · 4 countries
- State-funded 5
- Independent 5
- X / on the ground 3
GBUSHKIL
All sources
- independent.co.ukIn 2006 he crossed the Bering Strait on ice with Dimitri Kieffer, later swam the Caspian Sea for about 31 days by a method he called “floatimming,” and swam the English Channel.Independent · United Kingdom
- BBC News (independent/public broadcaster)In 2006 he crossed the Bering Strait on ice with Dimitri Kieffer, later swam the Caspian Sea for about 31 days by a method he called “floatimming,” and swam the English Channel.State-funded · United Kingdom
- Reuters (independent)Only about 15 of the 28 years were spent actively walking; visas, logistics, sponsorships, the 2008 financial crisis, COVID, and geopolitics took the rest.State-funded · United Kingdom
- The New York Times (independent)The idea started with a birthday-card note from his father about walking from London to New York.State-funded · United States
- New York Post (independent)His son Adam is 36; his granddaughter is 12 and had never met him in person; his mother Angela had not seen him since about 2015.Independent · United States
- The Independent (independent)His son Adam is 36; his granddaughter is 12 and had never met him in person; his mother Angela had not seen him since about 2015.State-funded · United Kingdom
- South China Morning Post (independent)Sources: Reuters ; The New York Times ; BBC News ; The Independent ; South China Morning PostState-funded · Hong Kong SAR China
- Yorkshire Post (independent)“He has missed out on pretty much everything… There were parts of my life where you just need your dad for it. But in my case, that couldn’t really be helped.” — Adam Bushby, Yorkshire PostIndependent · United Kingdom
- express.co.ukSources: Yorkshire Post ; New York Post ; The Express ; ynetnewsIndependent · United Kingdom
- ynetnews.comSources: Yorkshire Post ; New York Post ; The Express ; ynetnewsIndependent · Israel
- @Toffeewolfie“Everybody is celebrating and praising Karl bushby...but what about his poor mother... Very selfish.. I hope none of his children do the same to him...” — @Toffeewolfie (View B)X / on the ground
- @HampshireV3“His family should tell him to keep on walking. Karl Bushby is selfish and a disgrace.” — @HampshireV3 (View B)X / on the ground
- @1WayneBrown“Karl Bushby shouldn’t be celebrated, he should be condemned for abandoning his then 8 year old son.” — @1WayneBrown (View B)X / on the ground