The inspiring story of Oliver Widger, the man who quit his job to sail from Oregon to Hawaii, has a happy update: he’s arrived safely.
A health condition sparked significant life changes
Last year, Oliver Widger’s world turned upside down. He was diagnosed with Klippel–Feil syndrome: a spinal condition which, as he explained to Fox Business, means that he “run[s] the risk of going paralyzed.”
“The way the doctor described it is, I have a spine of somebody who’s like 115 years old,” he added. Hearing that kind of just shook up my world,” he said.
This revelation spurred Widger on to quit his 11-year corporate job at Discount Tire, liquidate his 401(k), and sell his belongings to purchase a sailboat.
As he executed this plan, there was one huge spanner in the works. Widger didn’t actually know how to sail.
YouTube videos as an educational tool
But thanks to some YouTube tutorials (as reported by AP), Widger and his cat, Phoenix, were all set to sail the seven seas. Or, to put it more accurately, they were all set to sail 2,000 miles from Oregon to Hawaii.
Widger and Phoenix set off on their voyage on April 30, with the novice sailor documenting their journey under the @sailing_with_phoenix social media handle.
As the journey progressed, the public became increasingly captivated by Widger’s story. It wasn’t long before he went viral.
“Dear corporate America, I won.”
This new legion of fans, which includes Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, gave Widger a hero’s welcome after he arrived in Hawaii on May 24.
As reported by the Associated Press, Green also presented him with an official proclamation at the Waikiki Yacht Club. “Dear corporate America,” Widger said in an Instagram post, “I won.”
Green also took to Instagram to shower Widger with praise. “With no formal training—just courage, curiosity, and a whole lot of heart — Oliver set sail from Oregon in search of something deeper,” he wrote. “His journey reminds us of the voyaging spirit that lives in all of us: the drive to explore, to grow, and to trust the ocean.”
Widger’s journey inspires many
In another interview with Fox Business, Widger added: “I think a lot of people are, you know, you’re grinding at your job all day long, and it doesn’t really matter how much money you make at this point, everybody’s just trying to do enough to get by and that just wears you out. It’s just the world’s in a weird place, and I think people have seen that it’s possible to break out.”
At the time of writing, Widger has 1.8 million Instagram followers and 1.2 million TikTok followers. His next adventure? A potential sail to the French Polynesia — after repairing his beloved boat, of course.