Oregon man goes viral after quitting job to sail the Pacific with his cat

JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press
May 18, 2025
May 18, 2025 Updated Aug 1, 2025

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HONOLULU — 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.

Sailing With Phoenix — In this screengrab taken from a video posted on Oliver Widger's Instagram account on May 4, Widger talks to the camera somewhere in the Pacific Ocean as he and his cat, Phoenix, sail from Oregon to Hawaii.
Oliver Widger

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