Long Way Back

February 16, 2016: motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman suffers a major road traffic accident in Portugal, breaking his hand and ankle and shattering his left leg. It’s unclear if he’ll ever walk properly again, let alone ride a motorbike.


Bed-bound in a foreign hospital far from home, a lengthy recovery period awaits. For the son of a touring film director, used to being on the road in one way or another since childhood, it’s an unwelcome change. Charley’s life has always been all about the challenge: but now he’s facing a challenge of a different sort.


Told in his own words, Long Way Back is a story of a recovery. More than that, however, it’s a story of a life lived without fear; from child actor to painter-and-decorator to television presenter and professional biker, always on the lookout for the next adventure. It’s the story of how an unconventional upbringing led to an unconventional adulthood – with all its highs and lows, epic journeys and broken bones. Mostly, though, it’s the story of one man and his motorbikes.