NEED TO KNOW
- Oliver Widger, the man who went viral for quitting his job to sail with his cat Phoenix, arrived in Hawaii on Saturday, May 24, after more than three weeks at sea
- Multiple boats escorted Widger to Waikiki Yacht Club, where a crowd of fans waited to greet him, along with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green
- “I’ve gotta process everything that just happened, it was absolutely insane. But for those of you that came, thank you,” Widger said in a video reacting to the warm welcome
Oliver Widger was welcomed in Hawaii with open arms — and lots of them!
Widger, 29, amassed 1.8 million followers on Instagram after quitting his job in corporate America to sail with his cat Phoenix following a diagnosis that carried a risk of paralysis. After a year of preparation, he set sail from Oregon last month. Fast forward three weeks and three days at sea, and the viral sensation arrived at his first destination: Hawaii — and residents of the state welcomed him in an appropriately epic way.
From the moment they pulled into the island of Oahu on Saturday, May 24, Widger and Phoenix were met with a crowd of cheering admirers — some before they even reached land.
Aerial and sea-level footage shared by the Waikiki Yacht Club shows that several boats paddled and rowed alongside the travelers to escort them to the club, where a “welcome celebration” awaited the human-feline duo.
“With just a couple days to prepare, we did it! Mahalo nui to everyone who showed up to give @sailing-with_phoenix the warmest Hawaiian welcome!” the yacht club wrote over footage of the sea welcome. “We couldn’t be more proud of you, Oliver, & we’re so honored to be your first stop on this epic journey!”
An Instagram Stories post from the yacht club showed guests lined up outside 45 minutes before the event. Journalists, admirers of Widger and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green all flocked to the business to meet the viral traveler.
Once Widger arrived, festivities — including live music, hula and a gift table, per the yacht club’s Instagram — kicked into full gear.
Though he is very open while documenting his journey online, Widger was admittedly nervous while addressing the crowd at the event, according to the Associated Press.
The online star also said he was feeling “really weird,” the AP reported. After 24 days at sea, he explained, “I just feel like I have to, like, hold on to things to not fall over.”
Addressing the crowd — and why they were gathered to see him — Widger said, per the AP: “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,” he added.
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Beyond his address, Widger also met with admirers in what the yacht club called a “receiving line,” speaking and snapping photos with attendees. “Don’t worry, he’s getting breaks,” the business wrote alongside footage of the meet-and-greet.
The yacht club also shared footage of the gift table at the event, which included gear for Widger, snacks for Phoenix and cards for both travelers.
Reacting to his warm welcome in Hawaii after the official festivities concluded, Widger shared a video of himself, settled in a hotel, reflecting on the day on Instagram Stories.
“Hello everybody. Today was wild, but look where we are,” he began, gesturing to the Hawaii coast at sunset. “Holy moly. I made it.”
“We had a really good day, a wild day,” he continued. “I’ve gotta process everything that just happened, it was absolutely insane. But for those of you that came, thank you. For those of you I couldn’t talk to, I’m sorry. There were so many people there, and thank you to the staff at the marina. Thank you.”
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