Tom Turcich, a New Jersey resident, was the first canine to accomplish this astounding achievement on May 21, 2022, and he was the 10th person overall to do it.
A sizable welcome-home party was held for the duo, and many Turkish friends, family, and well-wishers came to show their support.
He had spent even longer working toward the triumphant moment, which marked the completion of a seven-year, 48,000-kilometer (29,826-mile) odyssey.
From his parents’ house in Haddon Township, Turcich tells CNN Travel that the experience was “extremely strange.” “I spent a lot of time imagining how the story would conclude. People were lining the streets and accompanying me as it happened ” The main feeling was pure relief. It had become my main focus.
His longtime friend Ann Marie’s tragic death on a jet ski at the age of 17 in 2006 served as the catalyst for the journey.
He says, “It [her death] was tremendously formative for me.” “She was a lot more admirable than I was. It finally dawned on me that I will pass away [someday] and that it might happen at any time. I then began to reconsider everything.” Turkish got determined to take on this challenge after reading about walking adventurers Karl Bushby, who has been circumnavigating the globe on foot since 1998, and Steven Newman, who is classified by Guinness World Records as the first person to walk around the world.
