How Karl Bushby battled English Channel doubts to reach UK soil

British adventurer Karl Bushby says he battled self-doubt to complete a gruelling swim across the English Channel with no training – the final, major hurdle on his 28-year walk across the world.

The former paratrooper set off from Chile, South America, on 1 November 1998 with two self-imposed rules – not to use transport to advance and not to return home to Hull until the journey is complete.

On Tuesday, he announced he had reached Dover, where he was welcomed by family after three days at sea, including 20 hours in the water between rests.

He said: “Getting in the water that first day, I thought ‘have I taken too much of a bite here? But you dig deep. Keep on keeping on. You find a rhythm.”

Bushby has covered more than 30,000 miles (48,000km), including 29 countries.

The expedition, which aims to walk the longest unbroken path in human history, has included crossing the Bering Strait, which separates Alaska and Russia, evading bandits to trek across the Darién Gap into Colombia, and swimming the Caspian Sea.

He crossed into Europe last year and arrived at the English Channel last month, where he was left with no choice other than to swim after Channel Tunnel bosses vetoed his request for access to a service tunnel.