Adventurer less than 24 hours away from completing epic 28-year journey

In the years since, the former paratrooper has covered 31,000 miles across four continents, traversed shifting ice over the Bering Strait, and swam across both the Caspian Sea and the English Channel.

After years of dangerous escapades, including crossing the notorious Darien Gap in Central America and traversing the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia on the frozen sea, he arrived back in England earlier this month.

Along the way, Mr Bushby has battled virtually every conceivable terrain and weather condition across 30 countries to return to where it all began half a lifetime ago.

With 24 hours to go, Mr Bushby is expected to make his final stop before returning to his mother’s house at Queen Victoria Square, in the centre of Hull, at 11am on Monday November 2. As well as being greeted by well wishers, he will be met by his 36-year-old son Adam, a 12-year-old granddaughter whom he has never met, his father and brothers.

He will then return to Hull City Hall for a press conference in the afternoon.

A spokesperson for the event said Mr Bushby’s return home is bound to be an “emotional” day, adding: “He’s feeling like it’s the end of his life as he knows. It’s quite emotional.

“He doesn’t really know what’s out there for him for the rest of his life because this has been 28 years of focusing on getting to the next step, and that whole journey will be over on Monday.

“He says that it’s going to be interesting to see how he feels and what happens after, what happens next.”

The Lord Mayor of Kingston upon Hull and Admiral of the Humber, Maria Coward, has previously encouraged residents and visitors to come out and welcome Mr Bushby home.

She 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.”

The former paratrooper’s extraordinary quest was ignited by a birthday card from his father, Keith, in the mid-90s. Keith, himself an Army veteran, recalled a debate among special forces soldiers about the feasibility of walking from London to New York via the Bering land bridge.

A continuous line was traced across a map by Mr Bushby, spanning Europe and Asia to North America, and rather than stopping at New York, continued all the way down to the southern tip of Chile.

As part of his epic journey, he set himself rules that no transportation could be used to move forwards, and he was required to make the entire trip on foot.

The plan never changed: keep walking, swim when he must, until the line reaches his mother’s front door.

Thanks to the generosity of countless strangers, Mr Bushby was helped throughout his mission.

After returning to his mother’s home, Karl Bushby will tour the country, as part of “The Longest Journey Home” where he will tell a live audience all about his experiences along the way.