Dame Kelly Holmes has an impressive career under her belt, both as an athlete and as a soldier. While her sexuality has been known to her family since 1997, she’s only decided to come out to the public now. The timing couldn’t be more opportune, given that this is pride month.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, she discussed her life story and her decision to come out. Her journey began as a soldier, when she kissed a fellow officer and realised she liked women. However, fear of repercussions kept her silent on the matter. She continued to hide her relationships when she served as part of the Women’s Royal Army Corps.

Speaking about her decision to reveal her sexual orientation, she told the Sunday Mirror: “I needed to do this now, for me. It was my decision. I’m nervous about saying it. I feel like 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.”

Despite it no longer being illegal, Kelly did not feel safe coming out. In 2020, she spoke to a military leader from the LGBTQ+ community to see if coming out would mean trouble — she was told it would not be.

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

Kelly, 52, has a strong legacy behind her. As an athlete, she’s brought home two Olympic golds, in addition to multiple records in a variety of events. In 2005, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and she is also an honorary colonel with the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment (RACTR).

She joined the army at the age of 18 and had to wait 34 years to speak her truth. Holmes has repeatedly talked about her mental health issues and is an active advocate for others who struggle with the same. The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust is a charity that she set up to help young athletes.

Her 10-year career with the British Army consists of several hidden relationships. “Everyone knew who was gay, but you’d never talk about it. There was this pub that had a back dance floor and a pool table, and everyone we knew was gay used to go to this place. You could be yourself, then come back to your barracks,” she told the Sunday Mirror.

For years, she has had to put her career above her mental health and sexual identity. And now she’s taken steps that will certainly benefit not just her but many others.

The British army is a vastly different place for LGBTQ+ officers today. In 2000, the ban on soldiers who deviated from heterosexuality was lifted for all three branches of the UK military.

Even with it no longer being illegal, attitudes towards LGBTQ+ soldiers took a while to change. Today, the British army is one of the top 100 employers according to Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index.