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Dame Kelly Holmes: 'I'm never, ever going to be scared of what people think of me'

Warning: Some viewers may find the content of this post distressing

Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes joined Emma Barnett on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 4's Woman's Hour to discuss her decision to go public with her sexuality at the age of 52. It's something that she's opened up about in her new memoir, Unique.

Dame Kelly served in the British Army at a time when being gay was illegal and she shared the impact of keeping her sexuality a secret throughout her career in the Army and in elite sports. She also reflected on how lockdown and the death of her mother changed her perspective on life and gave her the courage to speak out.

You can listen back to the full interview on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sounds - it's the Woman's Hour episode from 14 November.

If you're affected by any of the themes in Dame Kelly's interview, there are links to support on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Action Line website.

Release date:

Duration:

2 minutes