GeoWizard

Growing up in Aldridge, West Midlands, Davies held a number of jobs before becoming successful on YouTube, including as a fishmonger, van driver, and bartender.{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Rachel|date=11 June 2021|title=Straight story? The YouTuber taking a direct route to success|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jun/11/straight-story-the-youtuber-taking-a-direct-route-to-success|access-date=17 June 2021|website=The Guardian}}

Davies registered his YouTube channel, "GeoWizard", on 15 May 2015,{{Cite web|title=GeoWizard – YouTube|website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/c/GeoWizard/about|access-date=17 May 2023}} building it around the game GeoGuessr,{{cite news |last1=Romano |first1=Andrea |title=This Guy Only Needs 10 Seconds to Guess Which Country He's Looking at in Google Street View |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/geowizard-youtube-tom-davies-geoguessr |access-date=7 December 2020 |work=Travel + Leisure |date=26 June 2020 |archive-date=1 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101222950/https://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/geowizard-youtube-tom-davies-geoguessr |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|title=This Geography Genius Can Figure Out Exactly Where a Photo Was Shot|url=https://petapixel.com/2021/03/04/this-geography-genius-can-figure-out-exactly-where-a-photo-was-shot/|access-date=23 March 2021|website=petapixel.com|date=4 March 2021 |archive-date=5 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305235437/https://petapixel.com/2021/03/04/this-geography-genius-can-figure-out-exactly-where-a-photo-was-shot/|url-status=live}} a browser game in which the player must identify locations in Google Street View.{{cite magazine |last=Norman |first=Max |title=The Charming Bloke Who Dominates GeoGuessr |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/rabbit-holes/the-charming-bloke-who-dominates-geoguessr |access-date=24 June 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker |date=24 June 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Browning |first1=Kellen |title=Siberia or Japan? Expert Google Maps Players Can Tell at a Glimpse. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/business/geoguessr-google-maps.html |access-date=8 July 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=7 July 2022}} As of June 2024, Davies has over 1.3 million subscribers and over 213 million views across all his public videos. In 2021, Davies launched the Geo Detective series, where he attempts to identify the location of photographs sent in by viewers,{{cite AV media |last=Davies |first=Tom |title=Geo Detectives |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-5J0kL7aRs&list=PL_japiE6QKWqMVC3JbyONau_0CZlDTU5f |publisher=GeoWizard |via=YouTube |type=playlist |access-date=1 February 2025}} which led to a 2024 collaboration with Fujifilm for the MyFujifilm Memories Recreated Campaign.{{cite AV media |last=Davies |first=Tom |date=22 November 2024 |title=A famous photography brand challenged me to geo-locate this mother/daughter recreation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWtQKNsA-uY |publisher=GeoWizard |via=YouTube |type=video|access-date=1 February 2025}}

Davies undertakes straight line missions, in which he uses a GPS device to attempt to cross a geographic area in a straight line. His first attempt, in 2019, was to cross Wales. Bad weather and steeper terrain than expected resulted in failure {{cvt|9|mi}} from the coast.{{cite news|date=30 July 2019|title=Un youtuber busca ser la primera persona en cruzar a pie un país en línea recta|language=es-AR|work=Radio Mitre|url=https://radiomitre.cienradios.com/youtuber-busca-la-primera-persona-cruzar-pie-pais-linea-recta/|access-date=7 December 2020}}{{cite news|last1=Jorge|first1=Michael|date=30 July 2019|title=Un youtuber está tratando de cruzar Gales a pie en línea recta, y lo está pasando mal|language=es-es|work=Gizmodo|url=https://es.gizmodo.com/un-youtuber-esta-tratando-de-cruzar-gales-a-pie-en-line-1836811139|url-status=live|access-date=7 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203033012/https://es.gizmodo.com/un-youtuber-esta-tratando-de-cruzar-gales-a-pie-en-line-1836811139|archive-date=3 December 2020}}{{cite news|date=4 August 2019|title=¿Lo logrará? Youtuber quiere ser el primero en atravesar un país a pie y en línea recta|language=es|work=HSB Televisión|url=https://diariodelcauca.com.co/noticias/vida-moderna/lo-lograra-youtuber-quiere-ser-el-primero-en-atravesar-un-pa-548436|url-status=dead|access-date=7 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806153504/https://diariodelcauca.com.co/noticias/vida-moderna/lo-lograra-youtuber-quiere-ser-el-primero-en-atravesar-un-pa-548436|archive-date=6 August 2019}}{{cite news|date=28 August 2019|title=走一直線能有多難? 瘋狂YouTuber挑戰直線穿越一個國家 - 生活|language=zh-Hant-TW|work=Liberty Times|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/2898435|url-status=live|access-date=7 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024120949/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/2898435|archive-date=24 October 2020}} In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Davies and his friend Greg attempted to cross Wales, but the effort was aborted midway for health reasons. Later in 2020, Davies successfully crossed Norway in a straight line.{{Cite web|last=Campbell|first=Oliver-James|date=16 February 2021|title=Meet the Man Who Walks Across Entire Countries in a Straight Line|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/geowizard-davies-straight-line-mission-across|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222152655/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/geowizard-davies-straight-line-mission-across|archive-date=22 February 2021|access-date=23 March 2021|website=Atlas Obscura}} In early 2021, Davies and Greg attempted to cross Scotland but failed when they were caught by police for breaking local COVID-19 guidelines.{{Cite news |last=Cutler |first=Martin |url=https://swd.media/videos/straight-line-youtubers-facing-prosecution-after-crossing-high-speed-railway-line-and-motorways-on-foot-1-29214/|title=STRAIGHT-LINE YouTubers facing prosecution after crossing high-speed railway line and motorways on foot|access-date=26 August 2021}} Their video was criticized for showing them crossing a live railway line, and Davies edited that scene out of the video following a visit from the British Transport Police.{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=2 July 2021 |title=British Transport Police knocked on my door because of this video (SCOTLAND PART 2) |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6dYOkZdIaY |access-date=18 July 2023 |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}} In October 2021, Davies and his brother Ben attempted to cross Wales for a third time. The pair managed to complete the crossing, but a GPS battery malfunction on day three caused them to temporarily leave the line, making it non-continuous.{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=22 December 2021 |title=The most action packed straight-line-mission to date (DAY 1: Ferns & Tractors) |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alzC4vM64ok |access-date=22 December 2021 |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}} Davies pursued a fourth crossing of Wales in late January and early February 2023, which proved a success.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8m7DvNEn0k&list=PL_japiE6QKWpeVh--V6PV5nre8umR_HlJ |title=Crossing Wales in a straight line just became a race. (my fourth and hopefully final attempt) |date=23 April 2023 |last=GeoWizard |access-date=9 June 2024 |via=YouTube}} He later noted that one of his main motivations for attempting it once more was due to competition, notably from Adam and Archie Fieldhouse, fellow straight-line adventurers who had successfully crossed Scotland, a feat that Davies was unable to do.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SRRPU32f2Q |title=Can we finish a Straight Line Mission across Scotland!? #3 inspired by Geowizard |date=10 April 2022 |last=Archie Fieldhouse |access-date=9 June 2024 |via=YouTube}} The Fieldhouses would also act as a major motivation for Davies' straight-line mission across England in late January to early February 2024.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO0XbbL_gBE |title=I attempted to cross England in a completely straight line. (PART 1) |date=26 May 2024 |last=GeoWizard |access-date=9 June 2024 |via=YouTube}}

In April 2022, Davies premiered a new type of adventure, called the "No Roads Mission", where he attempts to cross an urban area without walking down roads. His first mission was across the Black Country and resulted in a success.{{Citation |title=Introducing the "No Roads Mission" ...a very urban adventure [PART 1] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDU9BOtX80A&list=PL_japiE6QKWrzvwt_pKRC3IGNeBSu2-fw |access-date=11 February 2024}} In June 2023, he embarked on a mission, this time over two episodes, in which he, along with his brother Ben, attempted to cross Birmingham without using roads or the city's canal network, with some help from their uncle Ed (in place of Davies' wife Verity, who had been his assistant during some of his previous missions).{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=16 June 2023 |title=Can we cross the UK's 2nd largest city without using a single road? |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f33WqXf30Qk|via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}}{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=28 June 2023 |title=Dead rats, used needles and orange sewage [Birmingham No Roads Mission PART 2] |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTy4HT-h9Ds |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}}

In August 2022, Davies and a small support crew including Russ Cook dribbled a football across the width of Britain along Hadrian's Wall Path in a continuous run. Starting on the west coast, they walked and jogged the {{convert|73|mi|adj=on}} route in approximately 23 hours, stopping only for brief periods for food and water. Davies was the only member of the team to touch the football, making no hand contact with it at any point and becoming the first person to achieve this feat. The event was recorded and named "Dribbling Britain"{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=24 August 2022 |title=I attempted to kick a football across Britain in under 24 hours [PART 1 of 2] |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzNsfDwhZLM |access-date=9 March 2023 |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}} and raised £70,000 for charities supporting efforts to end youth homelessness, improve men's mental health, and reduce youth violence.{{cite web |title=Dribbling Britain Main Page |url=https://www.justgiving.com/team/DribblingBritain2022 |publisher=Just Giving |access-date=9 March 2023}} Later that year, Davies—along with friends Ben Cook and Adam Cook—ran across Wales from the border with England, near Anchor, to the coast at Aberystwyth, in under fourteen hours. Parts of the route were covered by more than {{convert|1|ft|spell=in}} of snow, with temperatures reaching {{convert|-9|°C|°F}}.{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=21 May 2023 |title=We picked the worst day imaginable to run across a country. |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcFx9_A6q0s |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}}

In December 2023, Davies and fellow straight-line mission YouTubers Adam and Archie Fieldhouse raced each other across the Isle of Man, in the channel's first "straight line race", which was won by the Fieldhouse team.Tom Davies (4 March 2024) {{Citation |title=I raced my straight line rivals across the Isle of Man (and it was epic) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KppKalwgN_k |access-date=9 March 2024}} (video) GeoWizard – via YouTube

In his series How Not to Travel, Davies and Greg embark on long journeys with little planning and the intent of using as many methods of transport as possible, such as hitchhiking, cycling, kayaking, or scootering. This series currently has two seasons: How Not to Travel Europe (2019–2020), documenting a journey from Geneva, Switzerland to Bratislava, Slovakia; and How Not to Travel America (2022–2023), covering a trip down the East Coast of the United States from Boston to Miami.{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=26 December 2019 |title=How NOT to travel Europe |type=playlist |url=https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_japiE6QKWoXDrOhXTnIru4GLulFnSz3 |access-date=17 February 2023 |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}}{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=4 December 2019 |title=How NOT to travel America |type=playlist |url=https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_japiE6QKWrCfn7NFL86bRSWez5DTDWt |access-date=17 February 2023 |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}}

Davies has composed music under the name Amynedd, which he used to underscore his videos. In 2020, he released the album 16-Bit Adventure.{{Cite web|title=16-Bit Adventure, by Amynedd|url=https://amynedd.bandcamp.com/album/16-bit-adventure|access-date=21 February 2021|website=Amynedd|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101013320/https://amynedd.bandcamp.com/album/16-bit-adventure|url-status=live}}{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=22 December 2021 |title=16-Bit Adventure |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lblipT1O8i8 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20210113042818/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lblipT1O8i8&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date =13 January 2021 |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}}{{Cite web|last=Kristoffersen|first=Kai Jæger|date=19 December 2020|title=Dro til Norge for å krysse landet i en rett linje: – Var ikke forberedt på dette|url=https://www.nrk.no/nordland/youtuber-tom-geowizard-davies-ville-krysse-norge-i-en-rett-linje-i-rana_-var-ikke-godt-nok-forberedt-1.15293567|access-date=23 March 2021|website=NRK|language=nb-NO|archive-date=23 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223214526/https://www.nrk.no/nordland/youtuber-tom-geowizard-davies-ville-krysse-norge-i-en-rett-linje-i-rana_-var-ikke-godt-nok-forberedt-1.15293567|url-status=live}} In 2025, he released the bedroom pop album Pleasant Pudding under the name Flopsy's Dream.{{cite AV media|title=I made an album |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBdGTMOXnKc&ab_channel=GeoWizard |access-date=19 May 2025 |via=YouTube}}

Studio albums

• Amynedd – 16-Bit Adventure (2020)
• Flopsy's Dream – Pleasant Pudding (2025)

Davies is married to Verity,{{cite AV media |people=GeoWizard |date=31 July 2023 |title=Geoguessr Maps: Areas with Tragic or Disturbing Backstories #2 [PLAY ALONG]|type=video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek0Zjb2k0nM |access-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=|archive-date=|format=|time=01:25 |quote=I'm on my honeymoon right now as we speak [...] wedding was perfect by the way, couldn't have gone better. }} who has appeared in his videos and acted as support crew for his straight line missions.{{cite AV media |people=GeoWizard |date=19 January 2022 |title=Can we complete this extraordinary straight line mission? [DAY 4: Come Here Coast]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkLDThED4T4 |access-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=|archive-date=|format=|time=40:12 }}{{cite AV media |people=Tom Davies |date=16 January 2020 |title=Real Life Geoguessr – Blindfolded and Dumped in a Random UK Location – PART 1 |type=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqe5CjHRmMY |access-date=14 June 2023 |via=YouTube |publisher=GeoWizard}} Their child was born in 2025.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO0XbbL_gBE |title=I attempted to cross England in a completely straight line. (PART 1) |date=26 May 2024 |access-date=9 June 2024 |via=YouTube}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official website}}
• {{YouTube|c=UCW5OrUZ4SeUYkUg1XqcjFYA|GeoWizard}}
• [https://www.twitch.tv/geowizardstreams GeoWizard's channel] on Twitch
• [https://open.spotify.com/album/3m1MNiRkBOY2Lz5EAXG1BB "16-Bit Adventure"] on Spotify

{{DEFAULTSORT:GeoWizard}}

Category:British YouTubers

Category:Walkers of the United Kingdom

Category:People from Aldridge

Category:Living people

Category:YouTube channels launched in 2015

Category:GeoGuessr players

Category:1990 births

Category:YouTubers from the West Midlands (county)