Why is this man being celebrated?

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8rz38jr50go

so when his child was 8 years old he decided to leave the country and undertake a 28 year walk around the world, setting himself a rule that he couldn’t come back to the UK until he’d completed it, and we’ve celebrating him why?

“Bushby says his "opportunity to walk" came following the end of his marriage, with his wife returning to Northern Ireland with their son.”

Wonder what opportunities she was denied due to his failure to share in the work, the love, the time, the effort of being a parent

I completely agree with you, his poor child. I suspect his wife also received no child support.

Imagine if she had naffed off, there would be uproar!

Well quite- I think that all the time when I see things like this. 'Every man's dream' oh just fuck off mate. Loads of men don't dream about abandoning their family.

My other question is who pays for all this? Who's going to support him now? Oh... and has he supported his son in anyway in the last 28 years?

“Family is family, right?" says Bushby.
"They're always going to be there. But there will be strain. There will be distance. So much so that you've grown apart to some degree. You don't really know each other anymore”

i find this sad. Family isn’t always going you be there and his decision to walk the world will have been the reason there is strain.

I’d love to hear his ex wife’s take on all this

Not excusing it , but he was a paratrooper and his wife left with his child to go to northern Ireland, so there must have been some trauma and breakdown in the relationship for mother of his child to move away and a reason why he decided to do journey. it's not a normal absent Dads response. He will struggle to adapt to home once he gets back. anyway he has his mummy at home waiting to look after him so ... I'd like to hear his ex-wife's side of the story

Just your regular day in the misogynistic journalism.

He has been running with a mental health issue, obviously.
Possibly a Forrest Gump fanatic.

I'd love to read a book by his child.
I suspect his wfe moved back to Ireland where she could live near reliable family.

The Runner's parents have been neglected too. Runner is self centred.

Hope his book sells and makes him money.

I am not particularly impressed by him. However, I did read a longer article and apparently British soldiers were not able to live in NI at the time unless they were serving there. So once his ex-wife moved to NI that was a big barrier. But that is no excuse for not maintaining a relationship with his son at a later date.

I briefly knew someone involved in a similar quest and he was pretty arrogant and self-involved, but perhaps you have to be in order to undertake this kind of mission?

It all seems pretty pointless and self indulgent really.

Yes, I agree.

I would bet good money he’s an abusive twat and she was glad he buggered off. I wish my ex would do this!!

Not being anole to live there didn’t stop him from visiting or paying child support. I can’t understand why this is being celebrated either. I feel for his DS, his Ex who he left completely unsupported and his DPs. Fancy having a Son who openly says that he’s chosen not to see you for all of those years. They must be heartbroken. Perhaps he’s so awful though that they’ve been better off without him.

So he has spent 15 years living in Mexico, did a big walk, and is to be celebrated?

I bet the mum clocked more steps on all the bedtime routines up and down stairs and school runs.

The article isn't celebrating him, it's reporting.

It refers to complex back story.

I wondered how financially he was able to do it too !

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

So he kept walking all the way back to Mexico for a few years?? Weird! Or maybe he gave up and flew back and then started again.
Anyway. Pretty selfish but a lot of people are!

Visiting wouldn’t be safe for him or them. His regiment would be especially targeted.

I know. It's such a non-story. It winds me up every time I read about it.

He sodded off to do whatever he fancied for years and left everyone else to pick up the pieces.

So it hasn't been a 28 year walk around the world, at all?

Whether that's lazy journalism or attempt to deceive on his part, I can't tell.

I read about him too and it kinda annoyed me. He did apparently get sponsorship over the years but also scrounged off people along the way. He freely admits he neglected his family but with no remorse. I guess you’d need a lot of ego to do something to do what he did. And here’s me feeling bad that I want to do Xmas at home with just DH and kids for once and not have to travel to spend it with DM or MIL!!

Completely agree. Also, when people leave their families to train and sail around the world. So what?

Say you are travelling to see them, just walking round the world to get there. See you in 28 years mil!