Dame Kelly Holmes

Nutrition Rocks are honoured to interview British sporting legend and double Olympic gold medallist, Dame Kelly Holmes.

Dame Kelly Holmes, hello and welcome to Nutrition Rocks! Firstly, congratulations on the launch of the new book, we absolutely love the title ‘JUST GO FOR IT!’ – 6 Simple Steps to Achieve Success.  Tell us more about the inspiration behind the book, and how you feel your book could inspire our readers to achieve their own personal successes in making a positive health change?

I always believe anything is possible if you want it enough; change is about making life choices.  Set a goal and break it down to achievable smaller targets,be willing to be committed and determined and do it for you!

At Nutrition Rocks, our message is to encourage you to love yourself from within whilst rocking a positive body image.  On a personal level, what do you do to make you feel good, and how do you maintain a healthy lifestyle?

I know that doing exercise can make you feel more alert and clear the head.  If I am not feeling good, I do more exercise.  Eating what I like but in moderation helps me not crave things.

You’ve enjoyed sport since childhood. Who were your inspirational heroes whilst growing up?
My PE Teacher Debbie Page was the biggest inspiration I had – she was motivated and the person who told me I could be good!  Sebastian Coe because he was a great British Athlete and winner of two 1500m Gold medals at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

Supporting young people to achieve their goals is clearly important to you.  What inspired you to launch the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust?

I believe that everyone can achieve in life if given the opportunity.  My charity exists to create life chances for young people to increase life skills and knowledge using inspirational sporting champions as mentors.

Nutrition Rocks aims to inspire and motivate people to eat well, move more and nurture a positive body image.  As an inspirational woman that men and women and young people aspire to, what would your advice be to those feeling overwhelmed with making a positive change in these areas?

Everyone in life wants to feel good about themselves: if they don’t, they can feel unhappy, tired and demotivated.  Making small but positive changes to your lifestyle can get a bit of you back! Having balanced eating habits where you don’t binge at night or starve yourself in the morning, will allow your body to function efficiently and give you the energy to do more!

Assuming you’re as much a whizz in the kitchen as you are on the track, if you had to appear on ‘Celebrity Come Dine with Me’, what would your menu be?

I am not a whizz kid in the kitchen at all, but something with prawns, crab, chocolate would be in there

If you were to host the ultimate dinner party for six of your personal heroes past or present who would they be, and why?

Alan Carr, Paul Merton, Dawn French, Graham Norton, Ruby Wax.  I would have comedians/comedy personalities for a laugh and switch off from work!

A double Olympic gold medallist and an inspirational figure to so many, we’re intrigued to know is there anything that Dame Kelly isn’t good at?

I only learned to swim properly when I was 18.  I had no choice, as I needed to swim to get into the Army. It was a quick way of doing something I hated!

Tell us something about yourself we don’t know?

I am self-confessed chocoholic! (I just know how to kerb it)

Complete the sentence “Dame Kelly Holmes thinks Nutrition Rocks because…

It is a light-hearted but informative, interesting and straight to the point mag!

The dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust inspires young people to find and fulfil their potential in life through a workforce of elite sports performers. For more information go to http://www.dkhlegacytrust.org

For the opportunity to win a signed copy of Dame Kelly Holmes book ‘Just Go For it ‘ – 6 simple steps – register your details with us and send us an email at info@nutrition-rocks.co.uk telling us in no more than 20 words the goals you hope this book will help you achieve! Good Luck – we look forward to hearing from you!