Adventurer James Ketchell has said that the achievement of becoming the first person to circumnavigate the globe by air, sea, and land has not yet fully “sunk in”.
Adventurer James Ketchell has said that the achievement of becoming the first person to circumnavigate the globe by air, sea, and land has not yet fully “sunk in”.
The 43-year-old from Basingstoke, completed the final stage of his challenge on Saturday when he sailed into Haslar Marina in Gosport aboard his Class 40 yacht, Mindset, after an eleven-month voyage around the world.
This accomplishment marks Ketchell’s third global circumnavigation challenge. In 2019, he set a Guinness World Record by flying a gyrocopter 27,620 miles around the world. Earlier, in 2013, he cycled 18,019 miles across the globe on a second-hand bicycle. Although he is still awaiting official ratification of his latest record, he described returning home as “quite emotional”.
Ketchell explained that his passion for adventure began after a serious motorcycle accident left him unable to walk for an extended period. While recovering in hospital, he motivated himself by setting an ambitious goal.
“To give me something to look forward to, I said to myself, ‘I’m going to row a boat across the Atlantic,’” he recalled.
After recovering, Ketchell exceeded expectations by not only rowing across the Atlantic Ocean but also climbing Mount Everest, cycling around the world, and fulfilling his dream of flying through his gyrocopter expedition.
Throughout his journeys, he has visited schools in the countries he travelled through, sharing his experiences and encouraging young people to embrace new opportunities. Having struggled with confidence during his own school years, Ketchell now uses his story to inspire students not to be afraid of trying new things.
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