Man who's been walking non-stop for 27 years straight set to finally break mind-blowing world record
Stephen King's The Long Walk has just been adapted for cinemas, and while the idea of putting young men into a Hunger Games-inspired tournament where you walk until only one is left standing sounds pretty horrifying, one man could likely take that ordeal in his stride.
For the past 27 years, Karl Bushby has been (quite literally) trotting the globe, but after setting off from Chile in 1998, he's finally on the home stretch back to his hometown of Hull in the United Kingdom.
We're told to get an average of 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day, although you're really supposed to feel the health benefits when you go over 10,000 steps. That's a mere walk in the park for Bushby, who's presumably ready to put his feet up as he approaches Hull.
According to a June article from the BBC, Bushby only had 2,000 miles (3,219km) left until he arrived home. The outlet explains how the former paratrooper had to pause in Mexico because he was awaiting a visa before he could attempt the final leg of his journey.
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After nearly three decades on the go, Bushby admits it will be a "very strange place to be" when he returns to Hull.
Swimming across the Caspian Sea last year, Bushby then continued into Azerbaijan and into Turkey.
Sadly, he was forced to 'step aside' from the Goliath Expedition as he waited for his visa in June. He hoped to return to Turkey in August, then off to Europe, and eventually make it home in September 2026.
Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, the intrepid traveller said: "On 1 November 1998 you're literally looking down at a road that's 36,000 miles long and have no idea how you're going to do it.
"We've run into a lot of complications with visa problems, financial crises, the pandemic, we've had it all.
"It's been extremely difficult but we've always stuck to our guns and never been willing to compromise on the route."
Although there have been a 'few' occasions where he feared for his life, he claims he was "mentally prepared" to tackle anything.
As for what it will be like when he eventually gets home, Bushyby confessed: "I just don't know, it's weird, it's a very strange place to be in where suddenly your purpose for living will have a hard stop.
"I'm hoping to transition into other things as quickly as possible, keeping mind, body and soul on the move."
Looking forward to getting back to his family, he concluded that it'll be interesting getting "to know each other again."
Even though Bushby originally thought it would only take 12 years to complete the voyage, it ended up taking over double this.
Responding to the story on Reddit, people were obviously blown away by the endeavor.
One amazed onlooker said: "Real-life Forrest Gump but with way better shoes."
Another added: "Man’s doing a side quest for 27 years straight."
Adding more context to the story, someone else concluded: "Somehow on every viral vid about him they forget to mention this is not a continuous trip. Dude just resumes where he left when he has time and resources, but in between he just flies back home or does other stuff, which makes it more like elaborate vacation planning with some extreme expeditions."