Dame Kelly Holmes

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Dame Kelly Holmes

Profession: Athlete
Place/Date of Birth: Pembury, Kent, 19 April 2020

Biography

Born in Pembury, Kent on April 19 1970, to seventeen year old Pam Norman, Kelly Holmes began training for an athletics career aged twelve, joining Tonbridge Athletics Club. However, despite winning the English schools 1500 metres in her second season she decided to join the army at 18, working as a lorry driver then a physical trainer. She competed in both running and judo whilst in the army but upon seeing a former competitor (whom she had beaten) in Olympic heats decided to combine her career with athletics training.

With medals in the 1994 Commonwealth Games, she went on to race in the Atlanta Olympics, however injury saw her out of the games early. In 2000 she trained intensively for just six weeks before taking bronze in the Australia Olympics 800m. She moved to Africa to live and train with Maria Mutola, the winner of that race, she went on to take medals at the European Championships in Munich and the European Championships in Manchester.

A further injury sent Kelly in to a depression, she later admitted to cutting herself and contemplating suicide at this time. However, she travelled to the Athens Olympics in 2004 with no injury worries. She decided to race in both the 1500m and the 800m. She became the second British woman to take gold in the 800m and then the third woman in the world to follow up with a gold in 1500m. She was given the honour of carrying the British flag at the closing ceremony and was also named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Later that year she was awarded a DBE.

Kelly retired after a further injury saw her hobble in to 8th place at a British Grand Prix meeting.