HELSETH Martin

General
ROWING WITH A HERO
At age 13 he met his childhood hero Olaf Tufte while rowing at a youth competition in Horten, Norway. Tufte, who won gold in single sculls for Norway at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, signed his jumper, which Helseth still keeps at his family home in Alesund, Norway. In 2016, at age 18, he was selected to train alongside Tufte with the Norwegian team, and he eventually went on to compete alongside his hero at international competitions. "[Tufte] has been a role model for a long time and I have always looked up to and followed him. I was quite small when he took his first Olympic gold, but it has always been a dream to compete with him." (worldrowing.com, 21 Jun 2020; aftenposten.no, 31 Aug 2019; tv2.no, 20 Aug 2019)

FREEDIVING
He likes to go freediving in his spare time. "I grew up spending a lot of time in the Norwegian fjords and I've always been fascinated by the big blue and what's hidden under the surface. I find freediving extremely challenging. Physically I do not think freediving will help me much as a rower. In rowing we measure how much oxygen we can consume, while freedivers conserve as much oxygen as possible because it's a very limited resource. It might be some positive elements regarding the tolerance for lactic acid in the muscles, but I do not freedive to become a physically better rower. The mental aspect is much more important to me. As a freediver I must block the outside world out. It feels good and I think having that feeling can make me a better rower." (worldrowing.com, 21 Jun 2020)

CLEANING UP THE COAST
In 2020 he joined the Big Plastic Pledge, a global campaign aimed at reducing the amount plastic pollution in oceans around the world. The project was set up by British sailor Hannah Mills. "It is something I've been doing just out of self-interest for several years. I am so passionate about it because I am around the water every day. It started after I picked up freediving again. When I stuck my head under water I could see that there was so much trash and stuff that shouldn't be in nature. So every time I went out to freedive I brought something back. One of the simplest solutions is to go along the coastline [or waterway] and pick up whatever you find along the way. And of course stop using single-use plastics whenever you have the choice. I've currently [speaking in June 2020] cleaned four tonnes while still training full-time." (World Rowing Coastal Facebook page, 03 Jul 2020; worldrowing.com, 21 Jun 2020; worldrowing.com, 05 Jun 2020)

FUTURE PLANS
He hopes to compete at two more Olympic Games after the 2020 edition in Tokyo. "The Olympic Games are the biggest you can get and Norway has proud traditions. We have been winning medals in each cycle since the 1970s, with the exception of the 2012 edition. It is a positive pressure, something I look forward to, but at the same time I know it will be tough. I will probably row towards the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and most likely to the 2028 edition in Los Angeles. I have a long-term plans, and as long as I manage to keep the joy of sports, I will continue rowing." (worldrowing.com, 21 Jun 2020; kommunikasjon.ntb.no, 05 Mar 2020)