A man from Oregon has completed an incredible journey accompanied by his beloved cat, and the pair is inspiring others along the way.
When Oliver Widger quit his job at a tire company, liquidated his retirement savings, and bought a sailboat, he had no idea the challenges he would face. However, he was determined to break the mold and try something different, the Associated Press reported Saturday.
Widger set sail with his cat, Phoenix, in April with the goal of reaching Hawaii. Fans greeted Widger when he arrived at his destination on Saturday, and Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) was also in attendance.
“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,” Widger said.
A few years ago, Widger was diagnosed with a rare condition called Klippel-Feil Syndrome, per the Daily Mail. The Cleveland Clinic defines it as a condition where a person has two or more neck bones that are fused together.
Widger said he is at risk of going paralyzed and following the diagnosis he became set on his journey. He said he learned as much as he could about social media and sailing.
“So, I neglected every single corner of my life and only focused on those things, and I ate like, rice and beans for a year straight just to like, save money,” he explained:
In a social media post on the day he set sail, Widger said, “For the next several weeks, I’ll face whatever the sea throws at me. Heavy weather. Long nights. Moments of awe. Moments of doubt. And maybe, moments where I find pieces of myself I never knew were missing.”
However, he said he was chasing his dream, adding that “I’ve already won because I found the courage to try.”
Widger faced many obstacles while sailing but he never felt completely alone because he communicated with friends online. Now, he may travel to French Polynesia but must make some repairs to his boat before setting out.
In a message to other people wanting to do something similar, Widger said, “Whatever your dream is just go and just do it. It is possible. You’ll surprise yourself at every single step of the way.”
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