When Vashon Island Rowing Club junior rower Liv Carlson was asked to interview someone they admire for a school project, they chose Steady State Podcast co-host Tara Morgan. The result? A thoughtful, wide-ranging 10-minute conversation that traces Tara's rowing journey—from learning to row in Tennessee, to rediscovering the sport as an adult in Seattle, founding Seize The Oar, and the coaches who shaped the way she now mentors others.

In 2021, Cillian Mullen was at a pivotal moment — navigating his identity, the college recruitment process, and transgender athlete policies. Five years later, his journey has taken him to the U19 and U23 National Teams, and the University of Washington. We catch up with Cillian to explore what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how he’s continuing to carve out his place in rowing.

After a brain cancer diagnosis and multiple surgeries, the athletic identity Katie Weber had always known felt suddenly out of reach. When she found adaptive rowing at Seize the Oar, Katie discovered a new challenge, rebuilt confidence and independence, and redefined what competition could look like. Through it all, her husband Will has been her gym buddy, race-day cheerleader, and number one fan.

When Jordan Hanssen spotted a flier in the boathouse challenging rowers to take on an ocean, the trajectory of his rowing career – and life – changed completely. We talk about his 2006 World Record-setting Atlantic row, and a second Atlantic crossing that ended with a  capsized boat in the Bermuda Triangle. But the story of the boat – named for his late father and outfitted with scientific instruments and satellite communications – didn’t end there. 

As part of our semi-regular club spotlight series, we head to Conshohoken, Pennsylvania to get to know Whitemarsh Boat Club. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, we check in with Linda Chisholm and Jane Voss – two of the club’s Founding Mothers – about the early days of getting the club off the ground in 2005, the growth it’s seen in the years since, and what makes this multi-generational club a stand-out.

Holding an old canister in his hands, rower and documentary film producer Lenny O’Donnell’s heart skipped a beat. “Berlin 1936,” read the note on an old piece of athletic tape stuck to its lid. After years in storage, unseen for several decades, Lenny was entrusted to restore and digitize the film, along with boxes of other historic photos, film, and ephemera documenting the University of Washington crew.

Bonnie Garmus was a competitive masters rower for years before an offhand comment during a business meeting prompted her to begin writing her first novel, "Lessons in Chemistry," which has been adapted into a hit Apple TV+ series. Everyone wants to talk with Bonnie about the book’s main character, Elizabeth Zott, so we turned the table to ask Bonnie about the role rowing plays in her life – and her best selling novel.

HEART EMERGENCY SERIES: PART 1 - David Setter and his wife were pushing through a tough gym workout when suddenly he didn’t feel well. He describes his heart attack that days as “feeling like the 1500m mark of a 2k,” despite a massive blockage that could have killed him. They tell us about remaining calm in the moment, motivation in rehab, and learning to find more joy in rowing.