Sailing from Oregon to Hawaii after quitting his job turns a man with a cat into social media star

Midway while sailing across the Pacific with just his cat named Phoenix, Oliver Widger reflected on why he thinks his many followers—more than a million on TikTok and Instagram—are drawn to his story of quitting his 9-to-5 job and embarking on a journey from Oregon to Hawaii. “The world kind of sucks and, like, I don’t think I’m alone in how I felt with my work,” Widger, 29, told The Associated Press via Zoom. “You can be making $150,000 a year and you still feel like you’re just making ends meet … And I think people are just tired of that and working really hard for nothing and want a way out." People are inspired by someone who found a way out, said Widger, who is among a growing number of people who have undertaken such voyages in recent years. Being diagnosed four years ago with a syndrome that carried a risk of paralysis made him realize he hated his job as a manager at a tire company. He heard about people who sailed from California to Hawaii and decided that was the life for him. He abruptly quit his job with “no money, no plan” and $10,000 of debt. He liquidated his retirement savings, taught himself to sail mostly via YouTube and moved from Portland to the Oregon coast, where he spent months refitting the $50,000 boat he bought. Now, Widger is harnessing the power of social media to fund his round-the-world sailing dream. Since he set sail in April, followers have been tuning into his “Sailing with Phoenix” social media posts to view videos of him and his feline first mate battling the waves and bouts of seasickness, enjoying dazzling sunsets, recounting tricky boat repairs or just reflecting on life at sea. He credits it all to his neck issue, which “shook up my world and it changed my perspective on everything.” He also hopes he can be an inspiration for anyone who's in a rut. “Everything I’ve done I thought was impossible,” Widger said. “Sailing around the world is such a ridiculous dream. Whatever your dream is, just go, just do it.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.