Her barracks were raided in a search for proof of same-sex relationships.Fears of being prosecuted - at a time when being gay was banned from the Forces - forced her into silence.She was a 17-year-old soldier when she first realised she was gay after a female comrade kissed her.Years of self-harm included one episode at the World Championships. Bottling things up triggered breakdowns and left her suicidal.A scary brush with Covid made her realise that she needed - and wanted - to show the world her 'real self'.In a heart-rending interview, she reveals: Read more: 'The discrimination was really hard' - Newcastle Hospitals boss speaks out for LGBTQ+ History Month And behind her beaming smile, she has lived a 'secret life' for decades.Īnd Kelly admits: 'There have been lots of dark times where I wish I could scream that I am gay - but I couldn't.' Olympics legend Dame Kelly Holmes has broken a silence of more than three decades too tell the world: 'I'm gay.'Īt the age of 52 and in Pride Month, Kelly came out to the Sunday Mirror at the age of 52.
