Kelly Holmes, a double Olympic winner from the United Kingdom, has announced she is lesbian, claiming she was both terrified and pleased at the news, which could have saved her years of suffering.
The 52-year-old, who won gold in the 800 and 1,500 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics, revealed on Saturday that she has been gay since she was 17.
‘This was something I needed to accomplish right now, for myself. It was my choice. I’m a little hesitant to say it. I feel like I’m going to burst out of my skin with joy,’ according to the Sunday Mirror, Holmes said.
‘I cry with relief on occasion. I’m effectively getting rid of that worry as soon as this (interview) comes out.’
Holmes, a former army commander who left in 1997 to focus on athletics, said she kept her sexuality disguised for fear of retaliation because gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons were not allowed to serve in the military until 2000.
Her anxieties were allayed when she contacted a military LGBTQ+ leader in 2020, who promised her that coming out would not result in punishment, she added.
Kelly remarked, ‘I was persuaded my whole life that if I admitted to being gay in the army, I’d still be in trouble. I felt like I could take a deep breath for the first time in a long time (after the call). One simple phone call could have prevented 28 years of misery.’
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