Two years into their epic journey, Afghan bandits killed John and wounded David. Nevertheless, after four months of recuperation, David resumed the walk from the site of the attack, this time accompanied by his brother Peter.
Together they crossed India but when it came time to fly over water to Australia, Peter needed to return home, so David continued alone. While crossing Australia, the mule he was using to help move supplies died so he was stranded. An Australian woman by the name of Jenni Samuel, found David and helped him get his supplies across the country.
On October 5, 1974, David Kunst walked back into Waseca, Minnesota, becoming the first person to have circled the globe on foot. His historic 15,000-mile odyssey required four and a half years, 21 pairs of shoes, and three mules. The long walk earned Kunst an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley’s Believe it or Not. It also earned him a bride—the same Jenni Samuel who he met in Australia!