Oliver Widger, a 29-year-old from Oregon, became an internet sensation after ditching his regular office job to sail across the Pacific Ocean with his pet cat, Phoenix.
"On April 30th, 2025, at 8:00am, I left Warrenton Marina on the Oregon Coast. And if you are reading this, it means I made it past the Graveyard of the Pacific and I’m sailing for Hawaii," his pinned post said.
Feeling stuck and unhappy in his corporate role at a tire company, Oliver decided to make a big change. A neck injury made him reevaluate everything.
He realized he hated the daily routine. Dressing formally, shaving, and pretending to enjoy work 8 hours a day was not for him.
He said, “You can earn $150,000 a year and still feel like you’re just surviving. People are tired of working hard for nothing.”
Inspired by others who had sailed from California to Hawaii, he decided to follow that dream. With no sailing experience, $10,000 in debt, and only his retirement savings, he bought and fixed up a boat for $50,000. He learned how to sail by watching YouTube videos and moved to the Oregon coast.
Now, sailing is his full-time job, along with filming his journey for social media, under the name Sailing with Phoenix. He and his cat deal with seasickness, stunning sunsets, boat repairs, and life lessons on the open water. His story has gained him over a million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Every day, he shares updates about his journey, like the time he caught his first-ever flying fish and added it to his growing collection of dead sea creatures, including squid.
"Day 5 sailing from Oregon to Hawaii. The sea is a brutal beast. I hope to never see her full potential," he says in one video. He adds that his cat is doing better than he is — and chuckles nervously.
So far, he’s made it to Day 17. Even though life at sea is tough and the internet connection is spotty, Oliver says it’s all worth it. His message to others feeling stuck: “Whatever your dream is, just go for it. I used to think all of this was impossible and now it’s my life.”