Olympian, Engineer, Cookbook Author: Emma Pooley’s Impressive Life

Olympic medalist, world champion cyclist, engineer, and cookbook author – Dr. Emma Pooley has never fit into a single box. In this episode of We Are ETH, host Susan Kish sits down with the ETH Zurich PhD alumna to talk about her extraordinary path from Cambridge mathematics student to elite endurance athlete and published author. Emma shares how switching to engineering helped her make sense of the world, how she trained for the Olympics while finishing her doctorate, and why her ETH supervisor Sarah Springman played a pivotal role in making it all possible. They discuss the joys and chaos of racing bikes, adjusting to life in Zurich, writing her deeply personal cookbook OAT to Joy, and what it takes to balance ambition with wellbeing. This episode is a warm, honest, and energizing reminder that it’s possible to pursue excellence – without giving up joy.

(01:01) Emma's Academic Journey

(01:54) Transition to Engineering

(03:09) Moving to Zurich

(04:43) Discovering Cycling

(07:04) Early Cycling Challenges

(10:07) Balancing PhD and Cycling

(12:58) PhD Research Explained

(15:10) Balancing Athletics and Personal Growth

(16:12) Experiences at ETH Zurich

(16:42) Cycling Challenges and Crashes

(17:38) Transitioning from Cycling to Triathlon

(18:25) Publishing a Cookbook

(20:55) Career Shift to Engineering