Olympic double gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes on coming out, moving in with her girlfriend and learning to embrace her true self
WORDS: JESS CLARKE PHOTOS: REX/SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY
THE LONG RUN
Dame Kelly Holmes, Olympian turned motivational speaker and author, couldn’t have been in better spirits when she caught up with OK! after hosting an Athena Effect women’s networking event at the Corinthia London hotel.
Despite spending the whole day engaging in deep conversations about empowering women, Kelly brought just as much passion and enthusiasm when she chatted to us about her “transformation” and life now.
The 53-year-old former middle distance runner, who this year marks two decades since winning double gold medals at the Olympics in Athens, has found a sense of peace and serenity in recent years, telling us she’s “got to a point in life where I’ve found my own voice” and that she “really doesn’t care” what anyone thinks of her.
As well as mentoring other women, Kelly has found happiness in her personal life with her partner, sports massage therapist Louise Cullen, after coming out as gay in June 2022. She documented her sexuality journey in a powerful ITV documentary Being Me, and received rave reviews and positive feedback for raising awareness for the LGBTQ+ community.
Here, the sporting legend lifts the lid on how her life has changed, her dedication to helping others, and what it was like meeting the Princess of Wales…
Hi, Kelly. How are you feeling about life at the moment?
You know, I got to a point after doing panto [she played the Ringmistress in Goldilocks And The Three Bears last year] of thinking, “I really don’t care what anyone thinks about me any more,” after going through something that’s so cringy, embarrassing, look-like-whatever in sequins. I’ve been on a transformational journey anyway, but that was almost like the final step in getting out of my comfort zone. I came out of that and felt empowered in 2024 to pass on my own message, and to use my voice in an authentic and transformational way to talk about what I want to bring to the floor.
It’s been 20 years since your double Olympic gold medal victory. Does it feel like two decades?
The Olympics has a four-year cycle, so it feels more recent than 20 years. If I’m really honest with myself and give myself some validation, I’ve achieved a huge amount. I look at the videos that were played today [at the women’s empowerment event] and I think, “I did it.
