Good on you Dame Kelly....

Just listened to Dame Kelly Holmes talking about how winning two gold medals at the Olympic Games 8 years ago changed her life for ever. I've met Kelly a couple of times briefly, once outside Sainsbury's with her mum well before she was properly famous. Being an athletics fan I knew who she was and had a great deal of respect for her dedication to the sport even then. I said hello and I think there was a little bit of surprise on her part that I even knew who she was. She seemed so ordinary and I think tehn she was just a talented young woman from Tonbridge at the time; and there's nothing wrong in that. But then at the Athens Games things changed dramatically and for good. Kelly unexpectedly won the 800 metres final first and then, with massive knew found belief and confidence, went on to win the 1500 to make it the now famous double gold. It really is worth re-living by watching the YouTube clips if you want to be reminded just how shocked Kelly herself was at winning the first medal. It still brings a tear to the eye even eight years on. The second time I met Kelly was only last Sunday when I found myself standing right next to her after my own earth shattering 2 hrs 14 mins Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon! I didn't notice her at first but, when I did, I introduced myself as a twitter follower and told her about my bookshop in the town. Perhaps she's now used to strangers starting up conversations with her but she came across as being genuinely pleased to talk to me fro a few brief moments before she went up to present the prizes. The radiant smile always helps but I get the impression that she is just a warm, friendly person and she doesn't have to try that hard. I caught last night's Radio 5 show on the BBC radio replay service remembering that she'd tweeted about it last night. It's worth hearing what she has to say if you have a spare moment. (Click on the 2100 show and then fast forward to just over the hour mark and that's about when they introduce the subject.) Once again I was taken aback by her ordinaryness and I mean that in about the nicest way I can think of. She came across as completely honest, completely modest given her awesome success and still more than a little surprised how popular and in demand she's become. Eight years ago, she lived with her mum in Hildenborough in a very ordinary house so I'm told. Now she lives in, as she put it, "a pretty nice house" she drives a pretty nice car as well because I saw it on Sunday. But they are just things, just tokens of success. What Kelly seems to have in abundance is natural warmth, natural talent, and incredible modesty and you can't put a price on that. It's fabulous that she supports so many good causes and especially locally. You can't blame her for capitalising on her own success for personal financial gain but no one has to set up their own charitable trust and no one has to go back to their old schools and spend the afternoons with the kids on the soprts field as I know Kelly has in the past. She's an inspiration to a generation of young kids in the area and a real example of how life can bring success against the odds. I don't know alot about The D K H Legacy Trust other than it aims to bring on children from humble backgrounds and work on their potential to become elite atheletes. One thing I am sure of though is that with Kelly behind it it's pretty certain to do good things. So I'm very happy to give it a big plug....