A man who has spent over 25 years traveling around the globe on foot has detailed how he financially sustains his ‘Goliath Expedition’, which has seen him walk from South America to Romania.
Karl Bushby, a former British paratrooper, embarked on his journey in his late 20s, leaving Puntas Arenas in Chile in 1998. His goal was to reach his hometown, Hull, and be the first person to walk around the world without using any transportation and following an unbroken path. He has covered nearly 30,000 miles.
Initially aiming to complete his journey in eight years, various misfortunes and global events have caused delays, and now, at 56, Bushby is approaching the final stages of his 27-year expedition.
With such an incredible story of determination and resilience, many who have come across his journey through social media are curious about how he has managed to sustain his walk for so long, both financially and physically.
Bushby answered questions about his funding on TikTok, stating, “A mixed bag of survival, kindness of strangers, family, a book deal and sponsors.” However, like his global trek, securing funding has not been straightforward.
In 2007, the former paratrooper authored a book titled *Giant Steps* about the first part of his journey, which included crossing the Bering Strait into Russia. This provided some income, but he still depended on friends and sponsorships.
The 2008 financial crisis and visa issues in Russia led to a loss of sponsorship and a two-year pause in his journey. With some assistance and a change in Russian policy, he resumed his walk across Siberia in 2011.
Aside from financial obstacles, Bushby has navigated dangerous areas, such as the Darién Gap, a roadless rainforest between Panama and Colombia, which he described as ‘cartels and drug plantations, and then really, really tough jungle.’ He also had a perilous encounter with a polar bear at the Bering Strait.
A recent TikTok video offers more insight into how Bushby has managed his journey on a tight budget, highlighting a diet most would find hard to imagine.
In the video, he describes his daily diet while traversing remote areas, saying, “I just pick stuff up along the side of the road.”
He further explained how he sustains himself now that he is only 2000km from home.
With just a small portion of his journey left, having entered Mongolia in 2017 and swum across the Caspian Sea last year, Bushby now has the advantage of scavenging from small shops and gas stations in isolated Romanian regions.
In a recent update from a ‘Profi’ convenience store in Romania, the Brit shared, “we have a mix, got a packet of cookies, got a tin of I think ribs and beans,” while indicating a tin with unfamiliar language.
He also pointed out a surprising part of his diet, a container of pickled herring, which lasts longer on his journey compared to many other protein sources.
Bushby’s global diet consists of one large meal in the evening and a light snack for breakfast.
He shared, “I have some cheese left over from yesterday and I have a loaf of bread, most of which I’ve consumed and I’ll finish that off tonight. And normally I have some honey to go with that.”
“Almost most nights it’s a tin of tuna and corn.”