Dame Kelly Holmes declared herself gay and she thought coming out was "something to do now".

Speaking at Pride Month, the two-time Olympic gold medalist said she identified herself as gay at the age of 17

after kissing a fellow female soldier and had known her family and friends since 1997.

She told the Sunday Mirror: "I have to do it for myself now. It's my decision. I'm afraid to say. I'm going to explode with excitement.

“Sometimes I cry with relief. The moment this comes out, I’m essentially getting rid of that fear.”

The 52-year-old Olympian has revealed that she is struggling with her mental health by hiding her sexuality

and had to keep secret many of the homosexual relationships she had while in the Women's Royal Army Corps. Court Marshal.

She said: “I felt like I could breathe again, one little call could have saved 28 years of heartache.”

After retiring from professional athletics in 2005, Dame Kelly wrote a book, became an inspirational speaker, and appeared in the reality series Bear Grills: Mission Survive.

Dame Kelly also founded a charity in 2008, designed to create guidance programs for retired athletes

 to get out of their sports and motivate young people from backward backgrounds into sports.

In 2019, she faced criticism after stating her belief on Twitter that transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete in women's sports.

She began making a documentary about her experiences called Being Me, where she now talks to LGBTQ + soldiers about their lives in the military.