25-05-2025
Oregon man sails to Hawaii with cat: ‘It's possible'
HONOLULU (KHON2) — An Oregon man and his cat have captured hearts worldwide by embarking on a weeks-long, 2,400-mile journey to Hawaii.
Thousands gathered to welcome Oliver Widger, 29, and his cat Phoenix at the Waikiki Yacht Club on May 24.
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'This is absolutely nuts. Absolutely insane, this is so bizarre. Yeah. Because I'm like, totally not this, you know, I'm just awkward, so,' Widger said.
Widger decided to make the journey with his feline friend after being diagnosed with Klippel Fiel Syndrome, a rare congenital condition with risk of paralysis. He quit his 9 to 5 and pulled out his 401K.
The initially-inexperienced sailor said the seasickness was real, but he powered through.
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'Right now I'm feeling really weird. But yeah, I'm not seasick. I just feel like I have to hold on to things to not fall over,' he said.
He had some help from a local non-profit off Maui. They airdropped a package with snacks and letters with well wishes.
'It was just a white vessel and a lot of white caps so we were all looking and were all scanning the water and we actually kind of passed him a couple times. And so we finally found him and were able to circle him and confirm that it was his boat before we could drop the buoy and all the snacks,' said Brian, an Aloft Charities flight instructor.
Oregon man sails to Hawaiʻi following medical diagnosis
Folks in attendance said not only is sailing halfway across the world's biggest ocean with just a cat is an incredible feat, but the fact that it was done by an 'average dude' is even more remarkable.
'And he's just an average dude, right? He's just like anybody else. And seeing everybody come out here and just be like 'Oliver!' It's so funny to me,' said Honolulu sailor Atticus Brown. 'I feel like so much secondhand happiness for him.'
Gov. Josh Green was in attendance and even presented Widger with a proclamation to honor his bravery and inspiration. Widger never thought his story would reach across the world, but he has a message for everyone.
'The world is in a weird place kind of thing. People have seen that it's possible to break out. And it is possible,' he said.
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