Meet Emily Nogue: A Real People Person

Meet Emily Nogue: A Real People Person

Author: A Julie Sunshine Production April 2, 2026 Duration: 15:29

Many people come to the Dolphin Club to swim and end up staying for the people. Emily Nogue did the opposite. She joined the club following the death of her husband John Nogue to feel his presence where he felt most at home. Now, Emily has made this place her own. Emily shares stories about John, their relationship, the incredible support they received from fellow Dolphins, the Swim for Science that bears John's name, her unimaginable grief, and how she's learning to live on with joy.


The cold, swirling waters of the San Francisco Bay are a character in themselves, but the true heart of this place beats within the 2000 Stories from the Dolphin Club. This podcast, an intimate production from A Julie Sunshine Production, isn't about athletic feats, though they happen daily. It's about the people. Each conversation pulls back the curtain on a unique, saltwater-stung community, revealing the personal histories and unexpected motivations that draw individuals to this iconic, challenging stretch of water. You'll hear from lifelong rowers with hands like weathered driftwood and newcomers confronting their fears one stroke at a time. The stories collected here form a mosaic of human experience-tales of loss, resilience, quirky routines, and quiet camaraderie forged in the fog. It’s a deep dive into the journals of daily life, exploring how a shared, almost ritualistic engagement with the natural world shapes culture and identity. Listen to this podcast for unvarnished, often humorous, and profoundly human accounts from inside the clubhouse and out on the open bay, where every member has a tale worth hearing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

2000 Stories from the Dolphin Club
Podcast Episodes
Meet Rebecca Handler: Humor is the Best Medicine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:09
Rebecca Handler has one of those laughs that is truly contagious. And better yet, she's so darn funny that she gets you laughing, too. Whether chatting about the joy she gets from swimming with her brother Daniel or her…
Meet William Pryor: Mapping the Depths [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:25
Like many young swimmers, William Pryor got scared when he couldn't touch the ocean floor. As an adult he found a way to understand it by combining his passion for drones and technology with art that maps the actual dept…
Meet Ryan Dalton: Walking the Walk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:40
Ryan Dalton's mind is always working. And he's got a lot to think about — parenting, partnering, writing, olfaction, neuroscience, cancer, AI, fear, swimming, beer, and a whole lot more. His mind is rarely at rest, and h…
Meet Keith Howell: Logging Miles and Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:23
Keith Howell has traveled the world, starting in Manchester, England and eventually finding his way to San Francisco. He edited publications all along the way until he retired and took up the mantle of editing the Dolphi…
Meet Humaira Ghilzai: Nourishing and Noorishing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:30
Not many Afghan refugees from their landlocked country grow up to be passionate cold water swimmers. But Humaira Ghilzai breaks all the rules. Her passions include helping to educate young girls (and boys) from her nativ…
Lauren Au Brinkmeyer: The Goal Getter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:14
Some people set goals. Far fewer actually get them. Lauren Au Brinkmeyer does both. With speed, humility, a huge smile, and a hearty laugh. She credits the Dolphin Club community, and her extraordinary organizational ski…
Meet Nathaniel Berger: Piloting Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:19
Nathaniel Berger feels most at home when he's either in or on the water. Whether swimming or leading others to safety, he's a natural born pilot and coach — both on land and water. Learn about how Dolphin Club swims are…
Meet Theresa Kolish: Living With ALS and Joy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:10
Members of the Dolphin Club always have a lot to teach us...and swimming and boating are usually the least of it. Theresa Kolish, who has been living with ALS for three years, teaches us all with humor, honesty, and grac…
Meet Amanda Ernzer: Channeling Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:12
Amanda Ernzer is certainly not the only Dolphin to have swum the English Channel...but in 2025 she was the fastest American to complete the feat. Amanda tells us how and why and what it took — physically, emotionally, an…
Meet Thad Carhart: Writing About Place [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:03
It took Thad Carhart a long time to believe he could be a writer. He worked a whole slew of jobs from State Department interpreter to Apple marketer before he found his true love. During a self-imposed sabbatical in Pari…