Martin Helseth on Filthy Fjords and the Future of Stewardship
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 our Supporters.
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Introduction
02:39 - Welcome and Martin’s rowing week on a scale of 1-10: "It's complicated"
03:47 - The Huddle
04:35 - The Hot Seat Q&A
06:00 - Rowing origin story: started with life on boats his grandfather and father built, then started rowing at the club next to the marina when he was 10 in equipment that was much too big
10:02 - Norway has very few rowers, and uses “power centers” to bring together young rowers from different clubs to train together
12:32 - From “quite terrible” junior rower to the National team was a gradual progression; and working towards a spot in a small program can feel like “internal fighting with family”
17:49 - Finding relaxation in free diving
22:05 - Aelsun and Oslo ecosystems and confronting ecological collapse, partnering with World Rowing, EU Climate Pact, the IOC, and non-profits to showcase feasible cleanups and marine restoration efforts
30:15 - Rowers: Taking ownership of environmental stewardship
39:15 - Nordic Endeavor
44:05 - Finding hope in a younger generation concerned about the environment
45:45 - The Debrief: Rachel and Tara ponder big questions
48:24 - Steady State Network news and notes
Episode Mentions
🎧 = Listen to a Steady State Podcast episode
CLUBS & TEAMS
Christiania Roklub
Vashon Island Rowing Club
EVENTS
Earth Day
Nordic Endeavor
NATIONAL GOVERNING BODIES
Norwegian Rowing Association
USRowing
OLYMPICS
Paris 2024
Rio 2016
Tokyo 2020
ORGANIZATIONS
Marea Oslo
Rewild Norge
World Wildlife Fund
ROWERS
Christine Cavallo 🎧
Duncan Spencer
Olaf Tufte
USROWING
Learn to Row Day
Return to Rowing Day
WORLD ROWING
Healthy Waters Alliance
Masters Regatta
Steady State Podcast 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.
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