Jamie

Karl Bushby. A fraud? Maybe. A father? Certainly not. My take, for what it’s worth. It upsets me, so here we go. Karl Bushby has returned to the UK after a ‘28 year walk around the world’. And is being heralded by global media. This is close to my heart. Karl covered 36,000 miles (58,000km) in 28 years. And did 1 truly epic thing, a 14 day crossing of the Bering Strait, joining Alaska to Russia. Only 8 people have done it. Legendary. Serious legit! He also crossed the Darien Gap, joining Panama to Colombia. Deep forest, drug runner territory (although manageable, over 500k crossed in 2023). But holding him up as some modern Shackleton? That’s where I have a problem. ABANDONED HIS SON: As someone who grew up without a father, the fact Karl started this journey when his son was 8, and just f*cked off knowing he was leaving him behind, is horrific. Selfish. His son visited him just 4 times in 3 decades. First time as a young adult. Karl also claimed on an American podcast that as a former British soldier he COULDN’T return to Belfast to see his son. I grew up in Northern Ireland, my entire childhood. That’s a bare-faced lie. And Karl knows the American audience WOULDN’T know that. A fake excuse for leaving his 8-year-old behind. Shameful. His son Adam now has a child, and reportedly Karl hasn’t even met his grandchild. And we’re celebrating this man? ABANDONED HIS MUM: His mum is 78, in ill health. He’s seen her 3 times in almost 3 decades. What are we doing here? HE LIVED IN MEXICO FFS!!! The 28 year ‘journey’ is basically a lie. He spent YEARS living in Mexico. OVER A DECADE not walking, by his own admission. Still didn’t visit his family though. LESS THAN 10,000 STEPS A DAY?! MILLIONS of people walk 10k steps daily. Karl averaged under 3 miles a day across his ‘expedition’. I do that playing with my kid and walking around my house. Actual expedition legends? Nicholas Bourne ran Africa in 318 days, Jesper Kenn Olsen in 434. Around 30km daily, unsupported. 10x Karl’s average, across a harder continent. ‘28 YEARS’ People see 28 years and assume it’s impressive. Take 2 minutes to consider how ridiculous that is. Serge Girard walked Tokyo to Paris (similar to Karl’s second half) in 261 days. 55-year-old Holly Harrison WALKED Argentina to Alaska (Karl’s first half) in 530 days. Including the Darien Gap. Combine them and you’re looking at 26 MONTHS. Not 28 years. Admittedly without the legendary Bering Strait crossing. Done in 3/4/5 years? Truly impressive. Three decades? Ridiculous to herald. TO THE MOON? At Holly Harrison’s daily pace, Karl could have walked from Earth to the MOON, and 40,000 miles beyond, in 28 years. Ridiculous. 13 YEARS STATIONARY Bushby admitted spending 13 years stationary. Yet still pushes the ‘28 years’ narrative. So he wasn’t walking for 28 years. And even removing those 13 years, his average barely reaches 10,000 steps daily. WHY NOT FLY HOME TO SEE YOUR SON? YOUR MUM?! GET A JOB TO FUND THE EXPEDITION? 11 YEARS TO CROSS RUSSIA? After his legendary Bering Strait crossing and arrest, Bushby took 11 years to cover roughly 4,000 miles across Russia into Mongolia. Thousands of ultra runners (me included, and I’m nothing special) can do 100km daily. One 90-day visa could cover that distance. Even at half that pace, two visas could do it within a year. Long before his Russian ban. The whole thing stinks. Anyway, I know how tough life is without a father. No-one to teach you what it means to be a man. How to shave. How to date. How to kick a football. And Karl was drinking tequila in Mexico while his son figured that out alone, then offering excuses, and now being heralded as a hero. In my opinion, it’s not cool at all. There are plenty of true legends doing amazing things to follow. Some guy ghosting his family and pretending he’s an adventurer doesn’t cut it for me. Thanks for listening to my ted talk.