Brisbane man walks 32,500km playing Pokémon GO

If you’ve never heard of Pokémon, then one of two things is probably true: a) you’ve been living in a cave, or b) you remember dial-up internet. Either way, stick with us.

Since bursting onto the scene in 1996, Pokémon has evolved from a humble video game into a global entertainment juggernaut of TV shows, films, trading cards and enough merchandise to bankrupt parents everywhere.

Then came Pokémon GO, the mobile game that achieved the impossible: convincing millions of people to voluntarily leave the couch. Instead of staring at screens indoors, players wander parks, city streets, walking trails and landmarks hunting virtual creatures that, for reasons best known to Nintendo, seem to enjoy hanging around public art and duck ponds.

Still with us?

Here’s the remarkable part. Brisbane’s Owen Beck, who was just 13 when Pokémon GO launched in 2016, has now walked an astonishing 32,500km while playing. That’s about the same as trekking from Brisbane to Perth and back four times, with sore feet to prove it.

“I walk like 15 to 20 kilometres a day,” Owen told the ABC.

Even better, Owen says his chronic migraines, which once left him bedridden for days or weeks, have become far more manageable.

So, if your kids need encouragement to head outside, perhaps Pokémon GO is the gateway to bushwalking. Stranger things have happened.