British adventurer finally reunites with mum after 28 years walking 31,000 miles around the worl
Karl Bushby set off from Chile in 1998 with one ambition – to walk all the way home to Hull, Now, 28 years on, he’s finally made it
A British adventurer who spent 28 years walking around the world has finally completed his extraordinary journey – and enjoyed an emotional reunion with his mum.
Karl Bushby, 57, returned to his hometown of Hull after setting off from Chile on November 1, 1998, with an ambitious goal: to walk all the way home without using motorised transport.
The former paratrooper was greeted by hundreds of well-wishers as he arrived in the city, before making the final three-mile leg of his epic 31,000-mile journey to his mother's home.
Emotional photographs captured the moment Karl embraced his mum, Angela, at the gate of her house on the Sutton Park estate, bringing nearly three decades of adventure to a remarkable conclusion.
Pushing a trolley loaded with equipment and a spare tyre, Karl was accompanied by media crews and supporters as he made his way through the streets he had left behind in 1998.
His homecoming was marked by a huge welcome at Hull's Queen Victoria Square, where crowds gathered to celebrate the achievement.
Addressing the well-wishers, Karl admitted the reality of finally reaching home was difficult to comprehend.
"After 28 years, you couldn't ask for more than this – this is the last few steps to my mother's house, in a very short while," he said.
"This is the last day, 28 years – I could not have imagined this."
He also paid tribute to the countless people who had helped him along the way, describing how the generosity of strangers had made his return possible.
"They say it takes a village, but it took a world to get me here – the kindness of strangers, so many, from individuals and nation states, to get me back here today," he added.
Karl's incredible journey, known as the Goliath Expedition, saw him tackle some of the world's most challenging and dangerous terrain.
Among his adventures were crossing the infamous Darien Gap in South America, being arrested in Russia and swimming across the Caspian Sea.
His return was originally planned for 2012, but repeated setbacks, including visa complications and problems with authorities, forced him to put his expedition on hold on several occasions.
One of his most recent obstacles came when operators of the Channel Tunnel refused him permission to walk through its service tunnel. Rather than abandon his ambition, Karl was forced to swim across the English Channel earlier this year.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham also sent his warmest congratulations to the adventurer.
After 28 years, thousands of miles and countless obstacles, Karl's extraordinary mission has finally ended where it mattered most – at his mum's front door.