Martin Helseth has always been drawn to the water. As a kid in Norway, he spent as much time beneath the surface as he did on it—free diving from a boat his father built, discovering a sense of calm and freedom below. Not long after, he found that same feeling in a rowing shell, first picking up the sport at age 10. Through persistence and a deep connection to the water, he rose through the Norwegian system to become a two-time Olympian, competing in both Tokyo and Paris. All the while, free diving remained a constant. In Norway’s fjords and lakes, it became more than just an escape—it became a lens. What he saw below the surface was changing. Pollution and marine debris were becoming impossible to ignore. What started as solo cleanups in his spare time grew into something much bigger. Martin began mobilizing his local community, then the rowing world, turning his personal mission into a collective effort. In 2024, he was named a World Rowing Healthy Waters Alliance Ambassador. Now, in partnership with organizations like World Rowing, and the World Wildlife Fund, along with rowing clubs around the globe, Martin is helping lead a movement—one that connects athletes, waterways, and stewardship, and pushes the sport toward a more active role in protecting the environments it depends on. GUEST: Martin Helseth | Founder, Rewild Norway • CEO, Marea Oslo World Rowing Healthy Waters Alliance Ambassador IG: @martinhelseth / @rewildnorway / @mareaoslo / @nordic_endeavor_2026 This episode was made possible in part by RowSource and YOU our Supporters. QUICK LOOK 00:00 - Introduction 00:57 - Rachel and Tara reflect on using computers at the turn of the century 04:54 - Welcome and Steve’s rowing week on a scale of 1-10: 10 (business) / 0 (no rowing) 05:30 - The Huddle 07:18 - The Hot Seat 08:48 - Steve’s rowing origin story began as a freshman at Ohio State University looking for something to be a part of 11:24 - Volunteer coaching the club novice program at Ohio State started with sports physiology and sports psychology books, USRowing certs, and coaching mentors 14:12 - RegattaCentral was a planned leap of faith in 1999’s nascent Internet landscape 22:05 - Row2k’s 1997 launch, Active.com, Y2K, 9/11 25:19 - “I have and had a vision where to take the business.” Deep in the trenches of building the business, 27-year-old lines of code, and considering the “human factor” in pushing out updates 32:02 - Integrating AI to analyze data and see trends 33:14 - The big question everyone asks: “Where are the results?!" - When it comes to results, RegattaCentral partners with timing providers 35:43 - Tara’s “thank you” to RegattaCentral 37:20 - Nearly 30 years on, RegattaCentral remains aligned with Steve’s original vision, and works around unforeseen tech, cybersecurity, and compliance 39:00 - At the heart of RegattaCentral is the team 40:14 - Steady State Network news and notes To see photos of Martin, and get links to the people, organizations, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website. . Steady State Podcast is a production of Steady State Network. It is hosted and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering, books show guests, and is our sponsor and donor coordinator. Rachel writes our scripts and e-newsletter, and manages the website and social media. Our theme music is Open Mind by Soundroll. . SHOP SSN GEAR: www.steadystatenetwork.com/shop SIGN UP FOR THE SSN NEWSLETTER: www.steadystatenetwork.com/newsletter MAKE A DIFFERENCE: www.steadystatenetwork.com/support CONNECT: FB - /SteadyStateNetwork IG - @SteadyStateNetwork FB - /AllieswithOars IG - @AllieswithOars Connect on FB and IG with the hosts: Rachel Freedman - @RowSource Tara Morgan - @CmonBarber
