NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL PARTNERS WITH EMMY-NOMINATED WRITER AND PRODUCER BEAU WILLIMON AND PRODUCER/MUSIC EXECUTIVE JORDAN TAPPIS ALONG WITH WESTWARD PRODUCTIONS TO TELL STORY OF ONE MAN'S YEARLONG WALK ACROSS THE U.S. IN NEW SPECIAL, THE WALK AROUND THE WORLD (wt)

Special Follows Karl Bushby's Trek from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., Which Culminates on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014, When He Makes His Appeal to the Russian Embassy

"I wanted to prove to them, and to myself, what I was capable of." - Karl Bushby

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - AUGUST 14, 2014) One man. One dream. One step at a time. The legacy of adventure continues in National Geographic Channel's (NGC's) new special, The Walk Around the World (wt), as former British paratrooper Karl Bushby (@bushby3000) walks from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., as part of an epic, record-setting journey - a 20-year, 36,000-mile walk around the world. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, his cross-country journey will bring him to Washington, D.C., where he plans to appeal to the Russian Embassy so he may continue and complete his excursion around the globe.

Executive produced by Westward Productions founders Beau Willimon (writer and producer of acclaimed Netflix series "House of Cards") and Jordan Tappis (director, producer and founder of Record Collection Music), The Walk Around the World (wt) will trek along with Bushby on his incredible journey of triumph and despair, armed with nothing but a pack of supplies, three cameras and a trolley he calls "The Beast." The result is a remarkable story of dedication, perseverance and heartwarming kindness from the strangers he meets along the way.

The trek to D.C., however, is only one chapter in Bushby's journey. Sixteen years ago, with only $300 to his name, he set out on a challenge to complete the longest continuous walk in human history. Planning to return to his home in Britain on foot, he left the southern tip of South America and walked up through Central America, North America and into Russia, successfully completing the first documented on-foot crossing of the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia. After trekking nearly 2,000 miles into the grueling Siberian tundra, the Russian government placed a five-year visa ban on Bushby, halting the expedition to which he has already dedicated a third of his life. Now, one year later, this modern-day adventurer is walking from Los Angeles to the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., with his visa application in hand, in hopes of overturning the ban and continuing what he started. Bushby's journey across America is a goodwill effort to show the Russian government just how committed he is to completing his dream to traverse the globe on foot, a quest that thus far has transcended borders and politics.

Viewers can track Bushby's progress through real-time GPS on his website, and via Twitter and Instagram (@bushby3000).

The Walk Around the World (wt) is produced for National Geographic Channel by Westward Productions. For Westward Productions, executive producers are Beau Willimon and Jordan Tappis, and producer is Zach Guglin. For National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Kathleen Cromley, vice president of production and development is Kevin Mohs, executive vice president of programming and strategy is Heather Moran.

# # #

ABOUT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNELS

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 48 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

ABOUT WESTWARD PRODUCTIONS

Westward Productions is a Los Angeles-based film and television production company founded by Beau Willimon and Jordan Tappis.