Seizing the Years with Emma Pooley
From Olympic cyclist to author (her yummy recipe book Oat to Joy, out now!) and advocate for women’s sports, Emma has continuously challenged the status quo, inspiring others with her dedication and fierce determination. It was an absolute pleasure to spend an evening chatting with her for this month’s blog feature.
Our conversation began with an unexpected twist. Emma was a little late to the interview, which didn’t bother me in the slightest. She had spent the day down a mine in Switzerland, working as an engineer to help repair an underground museum that was on the brink of collapsing. This surprising start set the tone for a rich conversation about perseverance, embracing challenges, and staying true to who you are. Emma’s journey is not just about sport; it’s about taking on the tough moments, making an impact, and finding joy in the process.
From Running to Cycling
Rachael: You’ve had such an impressive career across multiple endurance sports. What first drew you into them?
Emma: My dad, actually (though he now insists he was never really a runner). But in my memory, he ran every morning when I was a kid. And you know how children look up to their parents, I thought, I want to do that too. So I started running at a really young age, maybe around 11.
I was terrible at school sports. I couldn’t catch a ball, not coordinated at all, and I just didn’t enjoy it. But running, that I could do. No skill required, just go. I’d head out early in the morning and huff and puff around the fields. I became what runners call a “streaker” — not the naked kind! Just someone who runs every single day, obsessively. That was me as a teenager.
Rachael: And endurance was already part of that?
Emma: Definitely. Even though school cross-country and track races were maybe only 20 or 30 minutes, at that age, that is endurance. I always gravitated toward the longest events possible. Maybe because I didn’t have much speed, so I figured, just keep going instead. I only really understood that much later.
Now that I’m in my 40s and coaching a bit, I realize how much coordination can be developed in youth. I missed that window (never learned to throw or catch) but I did a lot of endurance. And that’s set the tone for the rest of my life.
Rachael: And then came the bike?
Emma: Yes, but I didn’t fall in love with it right away. I got injured from running. I overdid it and had to find something non-weight-bearing. So I bought a bike. Hated it at first. I had no proper kit, it was cold, traffic was loud, and my bum hurt on the saddle. Just miserable! I thought, I’ll never be a cyclist.
Rachael: Famous last words.
Emma: Exactly! I’m terrible at sticking to declarations like that.
Rachael: When you were running back then, what did you do to keep yourself entertained? No headphones, right?
Emma: No headphones. Still don’t use them when I run. I didn’t start listening to anything on the bike until I’d been cycling for over a decade. Even now, I find running meditative, so I don’t need distraction. If I lived somewhere where I had to run up and down a main road, maybe I’d feel differently. But when you’re out in nature, it’s different. Running becomes this space where I can think about nothing, whether it’s for 30 minutes or 12 hours. Nature invites you to go inward in a different way.
I’m really aware of how lucky I am. I live in a village, and within 50 meters I’m in the woods. It’s not totally wild, but it’s enough. I don’t think I could live in a city anymore. Even when I visit my brother in London and run in a park… yes, there are trees, but it doesn’t feel the same.
I mean, you can find beauty anywhere, if you try. But still, when I was injured last year, and the only kind of running I could do was on a treadmill, it nearly drove me mad. Five minutes felt like an hour. I tried listening to music, but the headphones kept falling out. It was just… not fun.
Rachael: I’m honestly amazed you have the patience for that. So many of my friends are like, “I can’t run without music or a podcast.” But it sounds like you really enjoy being alone with your thoughts.
Emma: Yeah, I do. I mean, it’s a good place to be, right? I don’t want to feel like I need to distract myself from training. Sure, some sessions are hard (intervals, long rides) but I chose to do them. I’d rather be present than trying to zone out.
The Fight for Women's Visibility in Cycling
Rachael: Tell me about the importance of making the cycling scene for women more prominent.
Emma: Back in the '80s, there was a proper women’s Tour de France, but by the time I started racing, it had disappeared. I didn’t even know that at first—I just wanted to get better. Five years into racing, I became world champion and earned an Olympic medal. But as I saw the bigger picture, I realized how unequal cycling was, especially regarding gender.
Coming from running, I didn’t know that women had to fight for the right to run marathons. It seemed normal to me. So when I got into cycling and learned that women weren’t allowed to race the same distances as men, it was shocking. It’s not that women aren’t capable—we’re actually relatively better at endurance—but our strengths are different. There’s no reason women should race shorter distances.
The idea that no one would watch women’s races was wrong. Women’s sports are inspiring and entertaining to everyone, yet cycling was behind. It felt outdated, like telling women, “You can run a 10k, but no one will watch,” or “You can go to school but not study math.” Unfortunately, many of the men in charge at the time didn’t think women were good enough for serious competition.
When I became world champion, I used my voice to speak up—not about the pay disparity, though it’s real, but about the lack of visibility and opportunities. If no one sees the race, how do you inspire the next generation?
In 2013, I teamed up with Marianne Vos, Kathryn Bertine, and Chrissie Wellington to campaign for a women’s Tour de France. We gathered over 100,000 signatures, and while we faced resistance, it was a positive push for change. Eventually, ASO created a one-day race, which grew into a 10-day race now known as the Tour de France Femmes. It's a huge success, with amazing coverage and exciting racing.
I’m proud we kickstarted this change, and organizations like The Cyclists' Alliance have pushed the sport forward, advocating for better safety standards, team conditions, and overall growth. It’s been a decade of progress, though I’m still a bit sad I never got to race the Tour myself. But that’s life.
Emma’s Book, Oat to Joy
Rachael: Let’s talk about your book. It seems like such a big, personal project. What sparked the idea, and how did it take the shape it has?
Emma: It’s evolved a lot. I actually first had the idea about 10 years ago. I already had loads of recipes. I’ve always loved food, which I think goes hand-in-hand with loving sport. You’re always hungry! And everything tastes better when you’ve trained hard.
Back then, I was making my own food to take out on the bike. I wanted to eat real food, not just processed stuff full of chemicals. I wasn’t counting calories; I was fueling to train. And also, I was paranoid about doping. So I made everything myself. I’d bake a big batch of muffins or brownies, bring them on rides, and share them. People loved it. They were hungry, and the food was good. I thought I should write a recipe book… but of course, I never had time.
I was working or racing or doing both. Then, finally, in 2022, after a bit of a personal setback, I said to myself, Right, I’m going to take a year and do this properly. So I sat down and wrote it full-time.
My last Olympics was in 2016, and I didn’t do especially well. My last big success was probably 2014: the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where I got two silver medals. That’s when I should’ve written the book. If I’d been smart, I’d have had someone ghostwrite it, released it while my name was still out there, gotten a publicist… but that’s never felt authentic to me. It’s my book. My recipes. I had to do it my way.
Rachael: And that’s exactly what makes it so refreshing! It feels like you!
Emma: I hoped so. I’m not a nutritionist, and I’m not pretending to be. But I raced, and I think good nutrition isn’t rocket science. I included the stories initially just to make the book more interesting. Maybe someone would remember me from racing and give it a chance. But then, writing those stories took over. That was the hard part.
It ended up taking over two years to finish, and most of that was writing the stories. I’m technically an author now, but I don’t consider myself a “writer.” Writing well is hard. I can read good writing and know when something is well done… but actually doing it? That’s another story.
I wanted to say things that mattered to me, and say them in a way that wasn’t boring or preachy. I didn’t want to just include quirky anecdotes about pizza at the Giro (Tour of Italy bicycle race). I ended up writing essays on topics I really care about. The book became this strange hybrid, part cookbook, part personal reflection.
Rachael: That’s what makes it stand out though. You can feel how much of yourself is in there. It doesn’t read like something manufactured or overly polished, it’s sincere. And now, with tools like ChatGPT, it’s easier than ever to churn out a book in a week if you wanted to…
Emma: I know! Just my luck… finally writing a book and AI explodes. I could’ve written it in seven days with ChatGPT. And maybe it would’ve sold better. The algorithms work well for familiar, recycled stuff. But that’s not what I wanted. The whole point was to do something real.
It’s not going to make me rich! I’ll be lucky to break even. But I didn’t want to put something out there that did not reflect who I am.
I just didn’t want it to be another “influencer guide to life.” That’s not me.
It’s funny, on a personal level, I love making things by hand. I repair my clothes, I cook, and it's usually a bit shabby, but that’s fine. Only close friends see it. It’s different when you're selling something to the public. Then I worry about quality. But I think the designer did a brilliant job. I’ve only got the proof copy, but I did all the corrections on it.
There’s actually an analogy with sport: I never doped, and I’d rather lose clean than win on drugs. I feel the same with the book: I’d rather it be original and maybe a bit weird than just a polished rehash of what’s already out there.
Rachael: Any recipes you'd recommend?
Emma: One of my favourites is the super-seeded loaf: easy to make, no added sugar, and packed with protein and whole grains. It’s perfect for satisfying my sweet tooth while cutting back on sugar. I also love making carrot cake poffins, which are like porridge muffins with frosting baked inside. It’s a fun, nostalgic recipe because carrot cake was the first cake I ever made with my mum.
You can find Emma’s book here: EU / UK / Switzerland
Embracing Ageing in Her 40s
Rachael: Let’s talk about longevity and staying active as you get older. You’re in your 40s now, how are you thinking about health, energy, and aging at this stage of life?
Emma: I really like your positive approach to aging. I think it’s something people are often in denial about. They want to avoid dying, but also don’t want to age. That contradiction has always struck me as odd.
Personally, I’m happy to be getting older. I’ve had some experiences that made me more defensive of aging… like dating in my 40s. I found that many men were only interested in women ten years younger, even when they weren’t looking to start a family. That really opened my eyes to how society worships youth. But the truth is, I’m healthier and happier now than I was ten years ago.
I had a very close friend who passed away at 43 from cancer… the healthiest person I knew. That gave me real perspective. I’m lucky to be here, getting older, still able to do the things I love.
And when it comes to staying active, that’s key for me. I’ve ridden with so many older cyclists who absolutely crushed it. Fitness doesn’t have to disappear with age. You might have to adapt a bit, sure, I get more achy now, and I know I need to do more strength and flexibility work. But I still want to be out in the mountains, having adventures. That hasn’t changed.
I’m not chasing youth or trying to look younger. I want to keep doing the things I love. That’s my focus. And honestly, it’s also about quality of life: being outside, being active, being with friends, pushing yourself a bit mentally and physically. That’s what keeps me energized.
You can adapt without giving up. And I’ve seen so many inspiring older people living full, active lives. That’s who I want to be. At 85, you’re not going to care about your wrinkles. You’ll care about your memories, the things you made, and the life you lived.
The Power of Showing Up
Rachael: To wrap up, what’s one lesson that sport taught you?
Emma: Only one? There are so many lessons, but if I had to narrow it down, I think I’d say this: it’s possible to find joy in most things, even the tough ones. I know that might sound a bit cliché, but it's so true. It's easy to find joy in simple things like watching a great Netflix show or eating a slice of chocolate cake, but it's a lot harder to find joy in a long office day or heading out for intervals in the rain at 5 a.m. before you even start your workday or family duties.
I used to push myself through the hard things, like when I did my PhD. The year I spent writing it was probably the hardest of my life, and I hated it. But in retrospect, I wish I had been kinder to myself. In sport, though, I learned to take an interest in the tough moments. It didn’t make them easy, but somehow, I started to notice the little things like the trees, the sensations of my legs burning, and the struggle becoming part of the process.
Even with writing my book, it was tough. I was tired, stressed, and frustrated, but as I got further, I found little moments of pride in the struggles. It wasn’t always about forcing myself to enjoy it, but more about finding something interesting, something to hold onto, even in the difficulty. And that made it better.
Rachael: Yeah, definitely. And to circle back to what you said earlier, it all comes down to just being here. We’re alive, and we’re doing it. Even on the hard days, that’s something worth appreciating.
Emma: Exactly. It’s about showing up, whether it’s for a race, a project, or just for yourself.
Thank you so much, Emma, for sharing your story with us!
If you would like to be featured or know someone who would be great to feature, please don’t hesitate to email rachael@jenerise.com 😊
Seize the years,
Rachael Jennings | Co-Founder + CBO, Jenerise
