Dame Kelly Holmes: My Wellbeing Weekend

From Saturday morning Parkruns, time spent with friends and visits to the Royal Armoured Corps; the inspirational Commonwealth and Olympic gold medalist and honorary army colonel shares how she spends her weekends.
Jog on…
I love taking art in Parkruns on a Saturday morning, when I get the chance. I’ve travelled around the country doing them, which is known as a ‘Parkrun tourist’. The best thing about Parkruns is you get to meet so many people all with the same goal — to run 5km. It doesn’t discriminate , as it’s for all ages, sizes and abilities. I think these community runs are as much about helping people mentally as physically.
Working Weekends
I work a lot, and generally don’t have a Monday-Friday lifestyle, so weekends are often working weekends for me. My work varies from sporting events such as starting the Great Scottish Run to speaking engagements in the UK and abroad, which can mean a lot of early mornings and late nights. Most of my corporate events revolve around mental health in the workplace, which has really taken off.
Time to Train
If I’m not working, weekends are great for my training because I don’t have to ‘fit it in’. I enjoy a variety of training including runs, cycling, circuit training, HIIT and weights. My main focus is to increase the amount of stretching I do, including yoga/Pilates to prevent injuries, as I am pretty inflexible at the moment.
Friends for Life
I love my friends so much and feel lucky to have has groups of friends for years. I have home friends from when I was five, school friends since I was 11, army friends since I was 18, and various individuals who I’ve become close to over the past 15 years. They come to my house for dinner or cinema parties, or I go away with them on weekend trips and holidays. One thing I know, they will all be my friends for life!
I was made an honorary colonel for the British Army…
… for the Royal Armoured Corps in 2018, which is a massive honour for me. The role was signed off by the Queen, with a change of army policy needed, as I’m attached to a regular unit instead of the reservists. I make various visits to the corps and enjoy giving my support to it, such as reading a poem in Flanders Fields at the 2018 Armistice Day.
Read Dame Kelly’s new book, Running Life.