We Are ETH Olympian, Engineer, Cookbook Author: Emma Pooley’s Impressive Life
Sep 4, 2025
Emma Pooley, Olympic silver medalist, ETH Zurich PhD in geotechnical engineering, and author of Oat to Joy, talks about switching from maths to engineering and moving to Zurich. She shares starting cycling late, epic races and crashes, balancing a PhD with pro training, winter training abroad, writing her oat-focused cookbook, and shifting back into engineering work.
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Late Start And Rocky Early Races
- Emma started cycling at 21 after a running injury and did her first race at 22, finding it uncomfortable and terrifying at first.
- Early crashes and punctures made her swear off pro cycling mid-race, yet she persisted and improved.
Environment Boosted Her Cycling Success
- Moving to Switzerland gave Emma access to hilly races and nearby countries with climbs, which suited her strengths.
- Local geography and race opportunities were pivotal, more so than early talent alone.
Supervisor Support Enabled Dual Commitments
- Emma credits her PhD supervisor Sarah Springman for supporting her cycling and securing part-time PhD status.
- That flexibility allowed her to race 50–60 times a year while completing research.
