Kelly Comes Home
Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes was at Tonbridge School on Tuesday 19 July to host a training and education session for young middle distance athletes, assisted by athletes from her 'On Camp with Kelly' mentoring and education initiative.
100 young athletes aged 11-18 from local athletics clubs and schools attended the session, including some from Dame Kelly's old school, Hugh Christie Technology College, with her former PE teacher Debbie Page. After a successful event held for 60 youngsters in July 2010 even more young Kent athletes benefited from the expertise of Dame Kelly and the 'On Camp with Kelly' athletes this year and took part in running, drills and core stability sessions under their guidance.
The event was part of an Aviva sponsored five day training camp for a number of the 'On Camp with Kelly' athletes at the excellent sports facilities at Tonbridge School, where Dame Kelly herself used to train. As part of their personal development through the initiative, the athletes completed a UK Athletics Coaching Assistant qualification and put their new skills into practice by devising and running the training session and mentoring the next generation under the guidance of Dame Kelly.
Dame Kelly said: "I believe that it is very important that the athletes I mentor with the support of Aviva through 'On Camp with Kelly' give something back to the sport and pass on their knowledge to the next generation of athletes as I have done with them. They have experienced many of same things as these young athletes will go through as they progress from school, to junior and then to senior athletics. I am very pleased to invite some of the 'On Camp with Kelly' athletes to train in my home town and that they are able to assist local young athletes. I would like to thank Tonbridge School and Tonbridge AC for their support."
Hear Heart's Interview with Dame Kelly talking about what she was doing in Tonbridge and the Olympics