Karl Bushby’s return to Hull after completing his 31,000-mile journey around the world has prompted renewed attention on the family he left behind when he began the adventure in 1998.
The 57-year-old explorer received a major welcome this week, with marching bands, military personnel and hundreds of spectators lining decorated streets as he completed the final steps of his journey.
His return also prompted calls for him to receive a knighthood, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the expedition as an achievement of “truly remarkable proportions”.
However, Bushby’s former wife, Angela Tivnen, has now spoken publicly for the first time about the years she spent raising their son, Adam, without his father at home.
Adam was eight when Bushby left Britain. He is now 36, has a partner and a 12-year-old daughter, and works in retail.
Ex-Wife Says She Had to Raise Their Son Without His Father
Angela said she had learned to manage family life independently after Bushby began his expedition, adding that she did not depend on a man to bring up their child.
“I had to learn to do everything myself. I did not need to rely on a man to bring up my son. I did it myself. Me and Adam got on with it and we were absolutely fine,” she told the Daily Mail.
She acknowledged that the prolonged absence caused difficulties for both her and Adam, but said she did not resent Bushby for pursuing his ambition.
“It’s just life. Things happen, and I can’t blame Karl for wanting to follow his dreams and do what he wants to do,” she said.
Angela added that the family had experienced hurt but eventually established their own lives. She described Bushby’s achievement as significant and said she held no animosity towards him.
She also acknowledged that she and Adam could have benefited from more support during the years he was away.
Adam Says His Mother Deserves Recognition
Adam has also spoken about the difficulties of growing up without his father present for much of his childhood.
He described certain periods as challenging but said he learned to carry on with life. He also said his mother deserved a medal for the responsibility she took on.
Bushby’s absence meant he missed major milestones, including Adam’s first day at school, college, passing his driving test, birthday celebrations, Christmas and New Year.
Despite this, Adam has maintained a positive relationship with his father and has not expressed resentment towards him.
He was among the family members who travelled to the Humber Bridge to welcome Bushby back to Britain. The reunion also gave the explorer an opportunity to meet his granddaughter.
Angela did not attend the homecoming.
Couple Married Young Before Their Relationship Broke Down
Angela and Bushby met when he was serving as a British Army paratrooper in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
She was 18 and he was 19 when they began their relationship. Bushby was stationed at Palace Barracks in Holywood, County Down, while Angela worked in one of the NAAFI shops on the base.
Their son, Adam, was born in 1990. The couple married the following year, when their child was 10 months old, at Holywood Town Castle before moving to the Army base in Aldershot, Hampshire.
The marriage later came under pressure after Bushby was posted back to Northern Ireland, leaving Angela in a new location with a young child and without her usual family support.
Angela said marrying and becoming parents at such a young age had been difficult, particularly while adjusting to military life.
By 1995, the relationship had ended. Bushby remained in England, while Angela returned to Belfast with Adam to be closer to her family. Bushby continued seeing his son when circumstances allowed.
World Expedition Began With a Pub Bet
Angela said she had always known Bushby was adventurous and determined to pursue his ambitions.
However, she was surprised when he announced his plan to walk an unbroken route around the world without using motorised transport.
The idea reportedly emerged from a pub bet in which Bushby wagered that he could complete the journey on foot.
His proposed route began in Chile and would take him through South and Central America, North America, across the frozen Bering Strait into Russia, and through Asia and Europe before reaching Hull.
The original estimate was 12 years, but the expedition eventually lasted 28 years.
Angela said she was initially shocked by the announcement but accepted that Bushby wanted to follow his ambition.
As the years passed, she said the family became accustomed to the delays and obstacles that prevented his return.
Financial Crisis, Visa Problems and Pandemic Delayed the Journey
Bushby’s expedition encountered several setbacks that extended its duration.
The 2008 global financial crisis affected sponsorship funding, leaving him in Mexico for approximately two years. Russian visa difficulties also disrupted his progress.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced another change in plans, with Bushby returning to Mexico by plane to establish a new base. He maintained that he would only return to England on foot, and the flight was permitted because it was not a journey home.
Although the expedition spanned 28 years, only about 15 years were spent actively walking.
Bushby also formed relationships during his time abroad, including a seven-year relationship with a Colombian woman named Catalina and a three-year relationship with a Japanese woman, Rika, whom he spent time with in Mongolia.
Bushby Previously Described His Life as Selfish
Bushby has acknowledged that his decision to pursue the expedition meant living a largely self-centred life.
He previously described his lifestyle as “purely selfish” after leaving Britain in 1998.
He also warned people to consider the personal lives of celebrated explorers, referring to historical figures such as Ernest Shackleton and Captain James Cook, whom he described as poor husbands and fathers.
Bushby had also maintained his commitment to staying away even when family circumstances became difficult.
He previously said relatives understood that he would not be present if they died during his absence.
That commitment remained in place when Adam suffered a serious motorbike accident. Although he escaped with bruises, there was no discussion of Bushby returning to Britain.
Adventurer Questions the Public Celebration
The scale of Bushby’s homecoming has also drawn criticism from some members of the adventure community.
Johnny Ward, an adventurer who has completed the Ultimate Explorer’s Grand Slam, questioned the way Bushby’s 28-year expedition was being presented.
The challenge involves visiting every country, climbing the Seven Summits and reaching both Poles.
Ward acknowledged the difficulty of crossing the Bering Strait on foot and navigating the Darién Gap, the remote jungle region separating Central and South America.
However, he challenged the description of Bushby’s journey as a continuous 28-year walk home.
Ward pointed to the explorer’s relationships abroad and periods spent living in Colombia and Mexico, arguing that the expedition included years away from the actual walking route.
He also questioned why Bushby had not returned to visit his family during those periods.
Father and Son Reconnected Through Visits and Expeditions
Although Bushby spent much of Adam’s childhood abroad, the two maintained contact through occasional telephone calls and postcards. Communication became easier as technology developed and Adam grew older.
In 2004, Adam travelled to Alaska with his grandmother, Bushby’s 78-year-old mother, who is also named Angela, to visit his father.
He later joined Bushby again in 2014 during the Goliath Expedition, when the explorer was travelling across the United States.
Their journey featured in the National Geographic documentary The Walk Around The World, which followed Bushby’s progress from Los Angeles to Washington DC.
Adam returned from the experience with stories to share with his mother. Angela said her son enjoyed travelling and had inherited his father’s adventurous personality.
She added that Adam loved spending time with Bushby during their expedition together.
Adam Says He Would Never Leave His Own Family for a Similar Journey
Despite sharing his father’s interest in adventure and travel, Adam has chosen a different approach to family life.
Angela said her son’s priorities centre on his partner and daughter, Harley.
She explained that Adam’s life revolves around them and that he would not consider leaving his family for a journey lasting decades.
While Bushby’s return to Hull marked the end of his long expedition, Angela and Adam’s experiences during his absence remain part of the family’s story.
