Karl Bushby to walk into Hull city centre on final leg of 28-year trek home from Chile
He's due to arrive in Hull today
Last updated 6 hours ago
A former paratrooper who set off to walk from Chile to Hull 28 years ago is on the final leg of his journey home.
Karl Bushby will make his way into Queen Victoria Square in Hull city centre.
It will be his penultimate stop in the city before he continues home.
Why he set off
The 57-year-old, from Hull, began his Goliath Expedition in Punta Arenas, southern Chile, on 1st November 1998, when he was 28.
Bushby has said the idea was inspired by a birthday card from his father, which described a conversation between two members of the UK Special Forces about walking around the world.
He was serving with 3 Para at the time.
He set himself two rules - not to use motorised transport to move himself forward, and not to return to the UK until the journey was complete.
A walk that took far longer than planned
Bushby originally estimated the 36,000-mile journey would take about 12 years.
Reports say visa problems, border restrictions, injuries, funding difficulties and extreme weather stretched it to nearly three decades.
His route took him north through the Americas, then across Asia and Europe.
Reports also say he swam the English Channel after Eurotunnel authorities refused permission for him to walk through a service tunnel.
Welcome in Hull
Lord Mayor of Kingston upon Hull and Admiral of the Humber, Councillor Maria Coward, said: "So many people have followed Karl on his epic journey.
"We have all felt inspired by his spirit, tenacity and dogged determination to carry on in challenges faced by the most fearless of explorers. We all share pride in his incredible achievement.
"We also know what it's like to come home to Hull, that feeling as your car or train, or feet in Karl's case, crosses or goes under the Humber Bridge and over the city boundary.
"As the world's media and documentary crews gather in our city we can show them how proud we are of Karl's achievement and how proud we are to be from Hull."