"Dame Kelly Holmes tells the honest story of her life as a gay woman, first in the British army, and then as an Olympic winner. "
In 2004, when Dame Kelly Holmes returned to Britain as a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, she should have been overcome with joy. Instead, she was filled with fear. The reason? She was worried that her new fame would mean the end of her secret—the fact that she was a gay woman.
In Kelly Holmes: Unique – A Memoir, Holmes now tells the honest story of her life, writing about her experiences as a gay woman, first in the British army, and then as an Olympic winner.
All her life, first when she was a physical training instructor in the British Army, and then as a Team GB athlete, she had kept her sexuality a secret. In the Army, the reason was obvious-- it was illegal to be gay and serving in the forces. (The law has since been changed.) As a professional athlete, she kept her love life secret for fear of the backlash she would receive from the public.
Following on from her 2022 documentary where she came out as gay, Holmes now feels confident enough to share the truth in this book, with which she collaborated with Gemma Aldridge. This warts-and-all memoir contains the highs and lows of her life. The two gold medals she won at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, making her only the third woman in history to win a double gold. A post-Olympic life as a commentator and member of the Loose Women panel. But also the lows: the injuries she sustained as an athlete, along with the self-doubt and occasional self-harm brought about by the secret she kept.
This brutally honest memoir is a must-read for any Holmes fans.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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