Dame Kelly Holmes says she can finally ‘breathe freely’ after coming out as gay – msnNOW
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Dame Kelly Holmes has opened up about coming out as gay, saying she can finally ‘breathe freely’.
The former Olympian came out in June this year, after hiding her sexuality for 34 years out of fear of persecution.
Chatting to Metro.co.uk at the Pride of Britain Awards, Dame Kelly, 52, looked back at how far she’s come, saying: ‘It’s been incredible to break free and I can honestly say, for the first time, I’m happy in my life.
‘It’s made me smile, I can be freer to talk and just to breathe. People don’t understand how that can transform someone.’
She added: ‘In sport, it’s very different now to when I started. I know so many more [people], especially women now, probably more than men that are living their lives authentically in sport.
‘But you want to have guys do it as well, you want men to know that we all deserve to stand side-by-side with each other, to be proud of who we are. You can only truly live your life if you’re truly being you.
© Provided by Metro Dame Kelly glammed up for the Pride of Britain Awards (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images)
‘And I just want those people to become role models for other people to come.’
Dame Kelly previously said she realised she was gay when she was a soldier in the Women’s Royal Army Corps in 1988 at the age of 17, and kissed a female comrade.
She kept that part of herself hidden, however, out of fear of being prosecuted, since same-sex relationships were banned from the forces.
© Provided by Metro Dame Kelly said she feels much more free after coming out (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
But, Dame Kelly said the global pandemic showed her that it was time to be her ‘real self’ and express who she is, after remaining closeted led her to breakdowns and suicidal thoughts.
Now, she feels ‘free’ after coming out on her own terms, telling the Sunday Mirror: ‘I needed to do this now, for me. It was my decision. I’m nervous about saying it. I feel like I’m going to explode with excitement.
‘Sometimes I cry with relief. The moment this comes out, I’m essentially getting rid of that fear.’
Earlier this week, Dame Kelly glammed up for the The Pride of Britain Awards, which celebrate the nation’s unsung heroes, attending alongside Michael Sheen, Holly Willoughby, Phillip Schofield, Sir Mo Farah and the Lionesses.
The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards will air on ITV on October 27 at 8pm.
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