National News
Oregon man who sailed to Hawaii with cat becomes viral TikTok sensation
Oliver Widger, aka @sailing_with_phoenix on Tiktok, talks solely with Fox Information Digital about his resolution to cease his job, to empty his 401 (Ok), promote all his possessions and sail over the Pacific to ‘hunt’ his dream.
A Oregon Man These hundreds of thousands of followers on social media gained when he documented his journey from crusing to Hawaii along with his cat who arrived safely within the state of Aloha on Saturday.
After mooring on the island of Oahu, Oliver Widger, 29, was greeted by cheering followers, in addition to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green. Inexperienced offered him an official proclamation within the Waikiki Yacht Membership, in accordance with the Related Press.
Bored with American enterprise, Man stops Job, cashed in 401 (Ok) and sails in freedom – now he’s a ticktok star
“Expensive Company America, I gained,” Widger wrote on Saturday in a festive Instagram submit.
Oliver Widger, the 29-year-old Oregon-Man crusing from Oregon to Hawai, arrives on Saturday 24 Might 2025 in Waikiki Yacht Membership in Waikiki, Hawaii. (AP Photograph / Michelle Bir / AP pictures)
After his 24-day journey at sea, Widger admitted that he was nervous in the direction of the group of recent followers and stated that he “needed to maintain issues so as to not fall.”
Widger – generally known as @sailing_with_phoenix on his social media platforms – began his crusing journey to Hawaii along with his cat Phoenix on the finish of April. He now has greater than 1.7 million followers on Instagram and greater than 1 million followers on Tiktok.
American staff keep in place whereas much less at work
“I feel lots of people are, you understand, you grind by way of your work all day, and it does not actually matter how a lot cash you earn proper now, everybody simply tries to do sufficient to make ends meet and that simply wears out,” Widger stated. “It is simply the world in an odd place, and I feel folks have seen it’s doable to interrupt out.”
On this picture equipped by Oliver Widger through his Instagram account on Thursday, Might 15, 2025, his cat, Phoenix, is of their crusing boat someplace within the Pacific, whereas each of his manner from Oregon to Hawaii. (Oliver Widger through AP / AP pictures)
The net sensation was impressed to make a change a few 12 months in the past, after he was recognized with clip -cure syndrome and stated he was uninterested in working in Corporate America.
Easy methods to save a ship with out drowning the money owed
“I run the danger of turning into paralyzed,” stated Widger Fox Enterprise earlier this month in an unique interview. “The way in which the physician described it’s that I’ve a spine of somebody who’s about 115 years previous … That in order that that form of simply shuffled my world.”
Widger stopped his 11-year profession at a tire firm, liquidated his 401 (Ok) and bought his property to purchase a $ 50,000 crusing boat with out prior crusing expertise. He taught himself how one can sail utilizing YouTube movies, AP reported.
Governor Josh Inexperienced presents a proclamation to Oliver Widger, the 29-year-old Oregon-Man who sailed from Oregon to Hawai’i on Saturday 24 Might 2025 in Waikiki, Hawaii. (AP Photograph / Michelle Bir / AP pictures)
Whereas he sailed the greater than 2,000 miles from Oregon to Hawaii, Widger stated he by no means felt fully alone as a result of he was in a position to keep communication with buddies with the assistance of expertise. The scariest a part of the journey was then a rudder failed, he stated.
For his subsequent journey, Widger stated he can sail to Frans Polynesia, however he should first perform repairs on his boat.
“With out formal coaching – solely braveness, curiosity and lots of coronary heart – Oliver from Oregon made one thing deeper,” stated Inexperienced in an Instagram submit. “His journey reminds us of the Voyaging spirit that lives in all of us: the drive to discover, develop and belief the ocean.”
Get Fox Enterprise on the Go by clicking right here
Widger didn’t instantly reply to FOX Enterprise’s request to remark.