Oliver Widger, an Oregon man who left his job in a tire company and liquidated his retirement savings to get in Hawaii with his cat, Phoenix, reached his destination on Saturday, greeted by acclaiming fans at the end of a week’s trip he documented for his disciples mass on social networks.
Widger, known online as “Sailing_With_Phoenix”, was also welcomed by Hawaii Governor Josh Green, at Waikiki Yacht Club in Oahu, admitted that he was nervous in front of the crowd, which included journalists. Widger said he felt “really bizarre” – not in sea, but “I just feel like I had to keep things not to fall.”
He became an online feeling with his story, which followed a diagnosis four years ago with Klippel-Feil, a syndrome which included a risk of paralysis and made him realize that he did not like his management work. He left his job with “no money, no plan” and $ 10,000 in debt – and the goal of buying a sailboat and navigating in the world.
Oliver Widger / AP 
Who sails with Phoenix?
The 29 -year -old was sailing for Hawaii with Phoenix at the end of April, documenting their experiences for his more than a million followers on Tiktok and 1.7 million followers on Instagram, many of whom he won last week. He said he thought his story, who made a national news, resonated with people.
He said he had learned himself to sail mainly via YouTube and moved from Portland to the Côte de l’Oregon. He spent months renovating the $ 50,000 boat he bought.
“I think a lot of people are, you know, you are creaking from your work all day and no matter how much money you earn at this stage, everyone is just trying to do enough to get out of it and that exhausts you,” said Widger. “It’s just the world in a strange place, and I think people have seen that it is possible to go out.”
Sailing with Phoenix Welcome Party at Waikiki Yacht Club
Michelle Bir / AP 
Governor Green presented a proclamation in Widger after his arrival in Oahu. Fans have invaded Widger after the press conference, a lot holding cameras and looking for selfies.
The scary point of the trip came when a rudder failed, Widger said. The protruding facts understood to see dolphins and whales and periods of calm water from the Pacific. “Being in the middle of the ocean when he was completely made of glass in all directions was an absurd feeling,” he said.
Widger said he never really felt alone because he was communicating with friends including a video conference. But he also deplored that he did not experience open waters in a way that other sailors – who did not have access to tools like Internet Starlink satellites – have years ago.
He said he could travel next to French Polynesia. But he said he had focused on going to Hawaii and not what he would do after that. He said he also had to repairs to his boat.
Oliver Widger / AP 
What is Klippel-Feil syndrome?
Klippel-Feil syndrome, or KFS, is a rare skeletal condition in which two cervical vertebrae or more are merged, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which causes anomalies in the spine.
The disorder is congenital, which means that a person was born with him. However, some people are not diagnosed until life later, when symptoms aggravate or first become apparent, according to the national organization of rare disorders.
“It took three years to fight fear and to face reality that, following my state of the cervical column, I risk paralyzing,” said Widger. “This truth pushed me to finally choose a life that is worth living. I hated my work. I despised the corporate machine.”
