Emma O'Reilly was born in 1970 in the working-class Dublin suburb of Tallaght. She trained to be an electrician before becoming interested in sports massage and therapy.

Emma worked for the Irish national cycling team for three years and then for professional teams in the United States, joining US Postal in 1996. Confronted by a doping culture she despised, she resigned her position in 2000 and began to speak out about what was happening in the sport.

She now runs The Body Clinic in Hale, Cheshire, treating Olympic athletes and professional sportspeople, as well as members of the general public.