This week Emma is joined by by Juliette Denny, ultra runner and adventurer. Juliette shares her running journey, from growing up as a footballer to the loss of a close friend and recently taking on the 100km CCC at UTMB in Chamonix, widely regarded as the Mecca of trail running.

Juliette reflects on how she navigates the mental and physical challenges of running seriously long distances, the importance of team spirit and community and ultimately what running means to her.

She also speaks candidly about her own experience of the lack of diversity on the trails, the community of Black Trail Runners, and the change needed to make the outdoors welcoming to everyone.

Beyond running, Juliette talks about the growing popularity of women’s sport, and what it was like to witness history watching the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham last weekend.

Expect to hear:

• Juliette’s journey into running
• Strategies for managing self-criticism and digging deep
• Why diversity and allyship matter in trail running
• The incredible boom of women’s sport

It is a fascinating conversation, full of insight, honesty and inspiration. Juliette is a brilliant guest and this is not an episode to miss.

Follow Juliette Denny on ⁠Instagram⁠ and check out ⁠Black Trail Runners ⁠ too.

Follow your host Emma Cole on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, sign up to the monthly ⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠ and check our her ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

🏃‍♂️ Into running? Check out our other episodes with ultra running legend Damian Hall and breathwork coach and runner David ‘Jacko’ Jackson.

✨🎙️ Click subscribe or follow now to be in the know when the next episode with a wonderfully passionate person drops.

On this week’s episode Emma is joined by Duncan Covey, who recently returned from cycling around the world.

Duncan left London in April 2024, cycling across Europe, Asia, Australia and the US, riding over 36,000km. Alongside his ride he also raised over £19,000 for Big Moose Charity.

He talks about his highs and lows, from experiencing beautiful hospitality like being offered camel milk in the Kazakh Steppe and the sheer joy of being out on his bike cycling through countless countries and places, to battling several bouts of pneumonia and coming face to face with a shotgun in Albania.

On this episode expect to hear:

• His inspiration for riding around the world
• Most beautiful places to ride
• How he came face to face with a shotgun in Albania
• Coping with the post-adventure blues
• Which adventure is next on his radar

Duncan is full of inspiration and advice for anyone thinking of taking on a challenge like that and hugely passionate about what it means to take on an adventure.

If you enjoyed this podcast, check out other Passion Stories Podcast episodes with fellow adventures like Mark Beaumont, Alastair Humphreys, Zara Lachlan and Oli France.

Follow Duncan Covey:

• Instagram
• Strava

• Donate to his Big Moose fundraiser

Follow Emma Cole:

• Instagram
• Youtube
• Find out more via her website
• Sign up to the newsletter here

✨🎙️ Subscribe now and listen to all of the Passion Stories podcast episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

🎧 Listen to the full episode with Duncan Covey wherever you get your podcasts - just search ‘the Passion Stories podcast’ or head to the YT channel.

In this week’s episode Emma is joined by Olivia Caplan, interior designer and social media influencer. Olivia shares her journey from chartered surveyor to interior designer and why she started creating videos offering advice on how to spruce up your home. We discuss everything from fluffy rugs, and panelling to how useful AI is or isn’t and much more. Olivia also shares her top tips and tricks on making sure you choose designs which you want, rather than what the algorithm shows you.

On this episode expect to hear:

• What an interior designer does
• Olivia’s design process
• Best apps to help you decorate your home on a budget
• What it’s like being an influencer
• Navigating the algorithms
• Her thoughts on clutter

Olivia is incredibly passionate about interior design and making it more accessible to everyone. She’s full of advice and honest opinions with a ton of humour thrown in for good measure too.

Follow Olivia Caplan:

• Instagram
• Youtube
• Find out more via her website

Follow Emma Cole:

• Instagram
• Youtube
• Find out more via her website
• Sign up to the newsletter here

✨🎙️ Subscribe now and listen to all of the Passion Stories podcast episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

This week Emma is joined by Bertie Gregory, National Geographic explorer and wildlife filmmaker.

Winner of numerous awards, including a BAFTA, EMMY and the 2025 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year, Bertie captures wildlife in challenging and intimate environments all around the world.

In his latest show Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory, Bertie aims to dive cage-free with great white sharks off the coast of South Africa. He shares the highlights and challenges of filming these incredible predators, from nature’s unexpected joys to its unpredictability.

Bertie also reflects on his filmmaking journey, from a young wildlife fanatic, to creating shows on Disney+ and being a part of National Geographic.

In this episode Bertie talks about:

• Why sharks are misunderstood
• The challenges of filming great whites
• What it’s like getting up close with wild animals
• What fuels his desire for storytelling and showcasing wildlife
• The importance of letting nature recover
• His views on the responsibility of a wildlife filmmaker

Bertie’s passion for storytelling, the natural world and documenting wildlife is unfaltering. He’s full of inspiration and wisdom, and also offers a ton of advice for those looking to follow in his footsteps.

Follow Bertie Gregory:

• Instagram
• Find out more via his website
• Watch Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory now on Disney+ and Hulu

Follow Emma Cole and the Passion Stories Podcast:

• ⁠Instagram ⁠
• YouTube
• Find out more via her website
• Sign up to the newsletter here

✨🎙️ Subscribe now and listen to all of the Passion Stories podcast episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s episode Emma is joined by Damian Hall, ultrarunner, and co-founder of the Green Runners.

A record-breaking runner, Damian is often found on a podium at iconic races like the Spine Race, Dragon’s Back Race, the UK Ultra Trail Championships, Mozart 100 and Ultra Tour Monte Rosa, and most recently won the Montane Lakeland 100. He also has a ton of FKTs, but why does he run?

We chat about that very question and much more including:

• Running his first marathon as a toilet
• What's like representing Team GB
• Taking on the Barkley Marathons
• Mixing running with environmentalism

• The biggest environmental issues in running
• Can sport ever be sustainable

It’s an eye-opening episode about the beauty of running far, combining your passions, and, most of all, sticking to your values.

Check out Damian on socials @ultra_damo and the Green Runner's @the.green.runners. You can also join the Green Runners here.

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✨🎙️ Follow and share the Passion Stories Podcast. Plus make sure you check out your host Emma Cole @emmasecole to find out who the next inspiring and passionate guest is coming to your ears in a fortnight.

What is textile performance? Why is a sewing machine so loud? Does technology have a place in art?

This week, Emma is joined by Harriet Riddell, a textile performance artist who creates art with her sewing machine. Harriet stitches stories and portraits in public places as she sees them - think life drawing blended with free‑motion embroidery.

Harriet has travelled the world with her sewing machine, stitching in bustling Indian markets, the humidity of Taiwan, and the joyful chaos of Glastonbury festival, as well as many other places.

Her work is spontaneous, she doesn't have a plan before she starts, instead she draws creativity from connection with people and places. To bolster this, people can pedal a bicycle alongside Harriet which powers her sewing machine, and this connection and conversation also influences her creative process.

In this episode Harriet shares:

• How she became a textile performance artist
• Her evolving creative process
• What it’s like working in public places
• The importance of connection and spontaneity
• Her views on the future of embroidery and impact of digital technology

Harriet’s warmth, passion and energy is contagious, and you don’t need to be into sewing or embroidery to enjoy this episode. By the end, you might just find yourself itching to pick up a needle or try out a sewing machine, or at the very least, look at the world a little differently.

Check out Harriet on socials and explore her website InStitchyou where you can try a free mini class on free motion embroidery.

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✨🎙️ Follow and share the Passion Stories Podcast. Plus make sure you follow your host Emma Cole @emmasecole on socials to find out who the next inspiring and passionate guest is coming to your ears in a fortnight.

This week Emma is joined by breathwork coach, mentor, and former professional rugby player David Jackson, known as Jacko.

After a traumatic brain injury ended his rugby career, Jacko discovered breathwork. Now a Master Oxygen Advantage coach, he’s on a mission to make breathwork more accessible and help others use their breath as a tool for self-connection, healing, and high performance. Based in the rugged beauty of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdonia), Jacko is also an ultra runner who thrives on his local trails.

In this episode, we explore Jacko’s deeply personal journey with breathwork, from his TBI recovery to working with elite athletes, and being present for his father’s final breath. His passion for breathing and breathwork is both powerful and moving.

We dive into:

• What breathwork is
• Why learning to breathe better changes everything
• How breathwork enhances both everyday life and peak athletic performance
• The art of nasal breathing
• Breathwork’s role in endurance and ultra running

Whether you're new to breathwork or looking to deepen your understanding of breathing, this episode is absolutely fascinating. Be prepared to be more conscious of your breath even while you listen.

Follow Jacko on instagram @jacko.david.jackson and his Youtube channel @thebreathrunningcoach. You can also access his free foundations of breathwork course here and explore his workshops and other resources here. His book on running and breathwork is out April 2026.

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✨🎙️ Follow and share the Passion Stories Podcast. Plus make sure you follow your host Emma Cole @emmasecole on socials to find out who the next inspiring and passionate guest is coming to your ears in a fortnight.

This week on the Passion Stories podcast, Emma is joined by Dr Sarah Ruggins, who recently smashed the LEJOGLE there and back overall record - cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back again in just 5 days, 11 hours, and 14 minutes.

That’s over 2,700 kilometres with 18,000 metres of elevation. Insane.

Sarah beat the men’s record by 6 hours 43 minutes, which was previously held by James MacDonald, and the women’s record by 4 days 17 hours 40 minutes which was held by Louise Harris. She also raised over £18,000 for the Bike Project and Bikes for Refugees at the same time.

In this conversation, we dive into:

• How she became an endurance cyclist 2.5 years after first picking up a bike
• What drove her to take on the outright record
• How she refined her mindset
• The highs and lows of the challenge (cue delirium and riding in circles)
• What’s next on her radar

• Sarah’s dream dinner party guest list and menu (spoiler: it’s hilarious)

It’s a wild and inspiring episode filled with grit, honesty and plenty of heart.

Follow Sarah on instagram @sarah_ruggins to keep up to date with her next challenge.

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✨🎙️ Follow and share the Passion Stories Podcast. Plus make sure you follow your host Emma Cole @emmasecole on socials to find out who the next inspiring and passionate guest is coming to your ears in a fortnight.