Dame Kelly Holmes becomes honorary patron of Belfast LGBT+ running club

The double-Olympic gold medallist has recently set up home in the south of the city, but only had her first run around the Titanic Quarter on Monday night, completing 5km alongside the Belfast Front Runners.

“Community is really important and to feel you’re not alone; a lot of people go through big highs and lows of being their true authentic selves,” the Loose Women star told the Belfast Telegraph.

Speaking outside the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction, she continued: “There’s mental health problems within the [LGBTQIA+] community, but also, you just want to feel like you’re in a safe place where everyone loves each other and it just makes you feel so great to feel you’re not alone with everything you’re going through.

“We’re also just normal people who love having fun with friends and this group allows them to have great friends.”

Dame Kelly came out in a powerful and widely acclaimed TV documentary last year, Kelly Holmes: Being Me.

Next month, the 53-year-old will also release her new book, Unique.

The revealing memoir will have a particular focus on her identity as a gay woman.

“Doing the documentary has allowed me to have the freedom to talk more and feel happy and validated, but also be a voice for those that don’t have one,” Kelly added.

“There’s so many people that have their own story, but are struggling.

“We talk about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and that’s what I do.

“I’m talking about how to humanise everybody and allow everybody to be their true authentic selves.”

Earlier this year, the LGBT Veterans Independent Review was published.

The report, led by Lord Etherton, examined the effect the historic policy of prohibiting homosexuality in the UK Armed Forces has had on LGBT+ veterans and personnel who served between 1967 and 2000.

Kelly, a former soldier herself, explained: “We got a prime minister’s apology in the Houses of Parliament which was massive because so many thousands of veterans have suffered through that law. I’ve written about that in my book, which comes out on November 9.

“It gives a big sort of story about attending my first Pride in London last year and the journey with my documentary.

“It’s quite emotive and very personal, but hopefully through the book, it gives people that power to come out and be themselves.”

Front Runners is an international organisation, which was first founded in San Francisco in 1974.

Now, there are over 100 Front Runners clubs worldwide, and the Belfast branch was created in October 2022.

Eilis O’Kane, chairperson of Belfast Front Runners, said that “it’s really exciting to have something that is a healthy, sober activity for the queer community, because a lot of the socialising can involve alcohol, bars and nightlife.

“But this is a different outlet where we can all be safe and run together”.

She said new members are always welcome to the club.

For more information on how to join, follow @belfastfrontrunners on Instagram or email [email protected]