Man Completes 4,000 Mile Australian Walk Dressed as a Cat
Posted For: TheGatewayPunditShadowbans
A man known online as “Catman” has finished an unusual journey across Australia after walking about 4,000 miles over two years while wearing a full-body cat costume.
Kentaro Jin, whose identity has remained largely hidden behind a mask, began the trek in November 2023 in Carnarvon, Western Australia. His journey ended Saturday evening when he arrived at the Sydney Opera House on the opposite side of the country.
Throughout the trip, Jin wore a leopard-print outfit and pushed a yellow wheelbarrow as he traveled along Australia’s long and often harsh coastline. During the walk he raised approximately $50,000 for research into childhood cancer.
Large crowds gathered at the finish in Sydney to welcome him. Thousands of supporters showed up after following his progress online. Some fans wore cat-themed outfits, while others carried signs with the name “Catman.” Jin has built a following of more than 850,000 people on Instagram, where he documented the journey and shared lighthearted encounters with people he met across Australia.
Despite his online fame, Jin has never revealed his face, always appearing in public wearing the cat mask.
Before starting the trek, Jin worked in construction. Over time he became known for his upbeat personality and the positive message he tried to share along the way. On his GoFundMe page he wrote that he wanted to be more than just someone people see online, saying he hoped to bring encouragement to people in the real world.
During the trip he frequently stopped in small towns and posted about conversations with strangers. Many people offered him help during the long journey, providing food, coffee, and water.
One supporter told SBS Australia that the effort was inspiring, saying the idea of walking across Western Australia was incredible since many people struggle just to walk around their own neighborhood.
Jin told the outlet that the adventure is far from over and joked that Catman could keep going forever, even walking around the world.
He already has another challenge planned. Rather than stopping after reaching Sydney, he hopes to cycle back to his starting point, eventually completing a full circuit around Australia.
In a rare interview last year, Jin said the idea for the journey came after a breakup with his girlfriend in Japan. He said the end of the relationship left him feeling lost and deeply saddened.
According to Jin, once he felt that everything in his life had fallen apart, he suddenly experienced a sense of freedom and realized he could attempt something bold. That moment led him to pursue the long-distance adventure he had dreamed about since he was a student.
Jin also shared some of the less glamorous parts of traveling across Australia in a cat suit. He carried two costumes and masks that he alternated between because of the smell, especially during the country’s hotter regions.
He said he often sweated heavily and had few chances to wash his clothes. At night inside his tent the odor could become so strong that he struggled to sleep. When it became unbearable, he wrapped a bar of soap in a towel and tied it around his face in order to block the smell long enough to get some rest.
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