British adventurer Karl Bushby arrived at his mother's home in Hull, England, on Monday, November 2, 2026, completing a journey across the globe that lasted more than 28 years. Known as the "Goliath Expedition," the trek covered approximately 30,000 miles and an estimated 75 million steps without the use of motorized transportation.
Bushby began his journey in Chile on November 1, 1998, when he was 29 years old. He established two primary rules for the expedition: he could not advance using any machine and he could not return home until the journey was finished, regardless of family circumstances. Over the course of more than 10,000 days, he traveled through South America, Central America, North America, Asia, and Europe.
The journey was marked by physical and geopolitical obstacles. Bushby encountered armed gangs in the Darien Gap, faced a polar bear in Siberia, and served time in a Panamanian jail. He also managed visa restrictions in Russia and adjusted his route to avoid the conflict in Ukraine. His transit included the first recorded crossing of the Bering Sea from the U.S. to Russia on foot and a 31-day swim across the Caspian Sea. In October 2026, he completed a swim across the English Channel from France to reach British soil.
The scale of the journey is defined by the 28 years and one day spent away from his home country. Bushby estimated he took 75 million steps to cover the 30,000-mile route. He noted that the duration of his absence was long enough that he now feels more at home in other parts of the world than in his birthplace, describing the return to a "static" life in Hull as an "odd feeling."
Bushby reached his final destination following a walk of roughly three miles from near Hull's town center to his mother’s residence, pushing a cart he had used for about 25 years. He was met by an honor guard, local children, and his mother, Angela Bushby. Having concluded the physical trek, Bushby stated his next task is to process the experience of the last 28 years. He told reporters that despite increased global conflict since he began, he remains optimistic about humanity.