Dame Kelly Holmes MBE is a world-renowned Olympic Gold Medallist and has become a role model for many, not only for her sporting talent, but for her bravery since coming out as gay at the age of 52. Having previously worked in the army, this made it very difficult for Kelly to be open about her sexuality due to it being illegal at the time within that industry, but she has now announced that she is part of the LGBT+ community. When booked, Kelly speaks on topics such as motivation, Mental Health, Performance, Leadership and many more.
At the age of 18, Kelly pursued her dream to be part of the army where she became an HGV Driver and then a Physical Training Instructor. The work Kelly put into the army was respected and greatly awarded in 1998, when she was presented with an MBE for Services in the British Army. She was also appointed as the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005. Kelly’s talent was recognised by millions in the 2004 Olympic Games where she had a double win in the 800m and the 1500m in Athens. She is still holding the world record for the 800m and the 1000m and even after leaving professional running, she is still inspiring many and pushing people to better themselves.
Soon after her double victory, Kelly set up the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust where she is the Founder and Chair. The charity aims to help former athletes with the transition away from sport and to help the younger generation from disadvantages backgrounds who are looking to enter the sporting industry. She is also currently working on the documentary ‘Being Me’ which will show her speaking to LGBT soldiers about their experiences in the army now compared to what she experienced in 1998. The army was the main reason why she felt she had to hide her sexuality and she wants to inform people of her experience and how it has hopefully changed now.
Dame Kelly Holmes came out as gay in 2022, and has been hiding her sexuality for 34 years, finally feeling empowered to come out publicly as gay. She has decided to speak openly about her experiences whilst understanding and coming to terms with her sexuality and how her life has changed since she has come out. If you are looking for an LGBT+ Speaker that has an inspirational story to tell, look no further than Dame Kelly Holmes MBE.
Hear Kelly Holmes in this insightful keynote speech about her career and how you can champion your success.
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