The 27-year journey of the man who decided to travel around the world on foot — and which is finally coming to an end

She adds: “He’s still my little boy. All mothers think that way, no matter what they look like or what they do.”

It was in this room where she spoke to the BBC that Karl presented Angela with his plan for the Goliath expedition, with the support of his father, Keith, a former soldier in the United Kingdom’s Special Air Service (SAS).

“I was speechless when Karl told me what he was planning to do,” says Angela, retired from a snack factory and divorced from Karl’s father.

On the coffee table lies a stack of family photos. And an image stands out: a boy with light hair is about to climb a tree branch, while his brother holds him in his arms. The older boy looks completely focused.

“Karl was always stubborn,” says Angela. “When Karl decides to do something, he goes and does it.”

On the wall, photographs of Karl and his brother Adrian, two years his junior, bear witness to their careers in the army.

Karl appears wearing the dark red beret and “wings” of the parachute regiment.

At first glance, it may seem that Karl moved easily from one adventure to another.

“He didn’t have an easy life,” Angela says, tapping lightly on the glass that protects the photograph of her son’s military graduation ceremony.

Karl, then a fit but slight teenager, made several attempts to overtake P Company, the pre-parachute selection and training unit of the British Army’s airborne force.

According to his mother, courage and determination, combined with the desire to respect himself and his family, helped him overcome difficulties.

The living room of the house was also where Angela comforted her son when he was the target of bullying at the local public school.

“Karl was called an idiot and stupid,” he says. “He was none of those things. He struggled a lot in school.”

Karl describes these years as “hell”.

“He was 13 when he was diagnosed with dyslexia,” says Angela, whose son agreed to her sharing the details in the hope that his story of self-improvement will inspire others.

“When he realized there was a reason for his difficulties, he left. Nothing held him back. He found ways around his problem and began to enjoy reading. He had to work very hard to get where he is.”

Angela keeps albums with newspaper articles that trace Karl’s journey.

So far, he has traveled through South, Central and North America, as well as parts of Asia, before entering Europe.

In 2024, he swam 300 km across the Caspian Sea (between Asia and Europe) to avoid having to return to Iran or Russia, where he had difficulty obtaining visas.

He is about to leave Hungary and enter Austria.

I ask Angela if she thinks her son, given his family’s close ties to his military career, was destined to lead such an adrenaline-filled life.

“Not really,” she said. “When I was a kid, he never gave me any trouble. He was always a lovely boy. Karl always loved being outside.”

“It was a sacrifice to bring him inside at night. He loved watching birds in the fields.”

Angela gestures toward the glass doors that lead to the courtyard.

“He always wanted to be there,” he said.

The fields, the territory of Karl’s adventures, have long since disappeared, replaced by houses.

For Angela, the decades have brought an intense mix of pride and worry.

His memory dates back to April 2006, when news arrived that Karl had arrived in Russia after 14 days of walking on unstable ice caps, in temperatures reaching –30°C.

“It was a relief that he made it,” says Angela. “Right before he left Alaska (United States), he asked to see his family in case something happened to him. We all went. He knew there was a very good chance he wouldn’t make it.”

“I was at work when someone told me they heard on the radio that Karl had been arrested for illegally entering Russia. My heart almost stopped.”

Angela also remembers an occasion when Karl tried a drink given to him in South America.

“He said the trees had started to move towards him and the sky apparently wasn’t the same as before,” Angela reports. “When he told me, I was furious that I had tasted that.”

Angela clearly misses her son terribly.

“At the beginning of the trip, I received phone calls from time to time,” he says. “Nowadays, we usually talk through (messaging app) Messenger.”

Angela has saved gifts for Karl over the years.

“I continued to buy her a Christmas present every year,” he said. “He’s going to have several to open. When I told him, he said, ‘Mom, you must be crazy.'”

She admits that she is worried about how Karl will readjust to life in society when he returns home.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do,” he said, looking thoughtful. “I hope he ends up staying here.”

Angela is lost in thought.

“But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I don’t think he’ll be able to stay in one place after traveling for so long.”

Later, on the phone, Karl tells the BBC his reaction to his mother’s comment: “What time is it?”

“This is the moment of truth,” he replies.