OH2BH Martti Laine
Team: Team Azores – Sponsored Team (Team Leader)
Country: Finland
Age: 67
Occupation: International Marketing & Sales Executive, Retired
OH2BH Martti Laine
Amateur Radio has guided my life personally and professionally since I was 15. Given its telecoms nature, Amateur Radio for the past 50 years has directed my interest and learning every single day.
Amateur Radio’s competitive spirit has also inspired me all these years. Competing in a variety of skills makes you improve and learn more. After decades of competing in many countries and on all continents, this hobby and my age have brought me back to square one. From WRTC 1990 to organizing the WRTC 2002 event in my country of origin and now to this point – competing with other nations and friends. The unique idea of promoting Azores Islands through Amateur Radio took me into the heat of the race, letting the speed of communication enthrall me and my pal (OH2MM) of 50 years of friendship. This is our way of saluting the games and the people involved when slowly entering the twilight of our lives.
It was in 1990 when WRTC was born in Seattle, WA. I was invited to liaison between the then Soviet Union and the United States which I took as an honor, with my country – Finland – being a bridge builder in those days between the two superpowers. It was a historic moment when the Soviets landed that memorable day in July – bringing different and somewhat reserved people together for a common experience in the West. They spoke a different language but at the same time the very same tongue.
Many other country teams were there to witness these two nations becoming more united through people-to-people contact. Amateur Radio brought people not only together but also saw them live in harmony in the same households during those unforgettable days while sharing their passion with the entire world over the airwaves.
During WRTC2014, just as at the 2014 Winter Olympics, we can stand united around the same fireworks and do our share in making this great world of ours a better place for all. Then we can all share in the experience of being firmly united with our great passion – Amateur Radio.