After a journey that lasted about 28 years, crossing 29 countries and walking nearly 50,000 kilometers, British adventurer Carl Bushby returned to his country, completing one of the longest walking journeys around the world, having swum across the English Channel (La Manche) from France to the United Kingdom.
Bushby, 57 years old, reached Shakespeare Beach near Dover last Monday, after a 3-day swimming journey, spending about 20 hours in the water, thus nearing the final station of his adventure that began almost 3 decades ago.
Upon his arrival, Bushby said: "It feels amazing to set foot on UK soil again after all these years. The journey wasn't easy, and that's part of the goal; I wanted to prove that I possess capabilities beyond what I thought of myself. We can all achieve feats beyond what we can imagine."
A Journey That Began in Southern Chile
Bushby began his journey on November 1, 1998, when he left the city of Punta Arenas in southern Chile at the age of 29, with a clear goal of walking around the world and eventually reaching his mother's home near the city of Hull in northern England.
The adventurer established two strict rules for his journey; the first was not to use any means of transportation to cover distances on the road, and the second was not to return to the UK until he completed his adventure fully.
Since his departure, the journey took him through extremely rough terrains and various regions of the world; he crossed South America, navigated the challenging Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama, and then continued north through Central America to the United States and Canada.
After that, Bushby crossed the Bering Strait on foot, resorting to swimming when necessary, before continuing his journey through Siberia, Mongolia, China, and other parts of Asia. The crossing of the Caspian Sea was one of the most challenging stages of the adventure, taking 31 days.
Obstacles Delaying Arrival in Britain
The journey did not go according to the timetable Bushby originally envisioned, as he faced a series of obstacles that forced him to pause and resume walking at different stages.
Visa restrictions and the global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, which caused him to lose sponsors, along with the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical changes, delayed his journey by several additional years.
In June of last year, he faced a new obstacle after the Channel Tunnel authorities rejected his request to use the service tunnel to reach Britain. With this option unavailable, he turned to swimming across the English Channel in an attempt to complete the final stage of his journey.
Crossing the Channel was an exceptional challenge, as swimming trips usually start from the British side. Bushby's team stated that they obtained permission from both French and British authorities, keeping the exact crossing time secret for safety and security reasons.
For its part, the UK Coastguard reported that it coordinated with French authorities and maritime partners to ensure necessary safety measures were in place.
The Return Approaching the End of the Dream
Bushby's arrival at the beach was welcomed by friends and family members, including his father Keith Bushby, a former soldier in the British Special Air Service.
The German director Werner Herzog, who is working on a documentary film about the journey titled "The Walk of Life," also attended.