Kelly Holmes

Kelly Holmes (born 19 April 1970) is a retired British middle distance athlete and television personality. Joining the army when she was 18, she became a HGV driver in the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC), later becoming a basic physical training instructor (PTI). For several years she combined athletics with employment in the army, until increased funding allowed her to become a full-time athlete in 1997 .

Holmes specialised in the 800 and 1500 metres events and won gold medals for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She set British records in numerous events and still holds the records over the 600, and 1000 metre distances. She held the British 800 metre record until 2021.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist, who grew up in Pembury, publicly came out as gay in 2022 after decades of keeping her sexuality a closely-guarded secret .