Dame Kelly Holmes recalls youth when 'being gay was very taboo'

Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes has spoken about growing up in Kent at a time when being gay was "stigmatised".

The gold medal-winning athlete, who was raised in the countryside near Tonbridge, came out last year after hiding her sexuality for 34 years.

She embraced being "unique", but not in "every part of my life", as she hid her sexuality for 34 years.

She said not being able to be open about their sexuality had caused many people "a lot of mental health trauma".

Holmes, who came out last year, told BBC Radio Surrey that in the generation she grew up in, being gay was "very taboo, it was very stigmatised".

She started her career in the army, where until 2000 homosexuality was illegal.

Becoming a full-time athlete in 1997, Holmes went on to win two gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

She retired in 2006 and turned her hand to motivational speaking.

"We're in a world now where we do talk about inclusion far more than we ever did before," she said.

"Young people are really showing the way and really living their truth."

Holmes said she was proud of "having a voice" that she could use to "push conversation".

"I'm not afraid of that," she said.

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