Dame Kelly Holmes is learning vital life-saving skills with the London Ambulance Service

The gold medalist was invited to visit the service for a staff networking event organized by the LGBT+Network

Olympic gold medalist Dame Kelly Holmes learned how to save a life after undertaking her London Lifesaver training at London Ambulance Service headquarters in Waterloo.

The gold medalist was invited to visit the service for a staff networking event organized by the LGBT+Network.

As a guest speaker, she talked about the pressures she faced throughout her life, from the intensity of competitive sports to the fear she felt hiding her sexuality while in the military, when it was illegal to be gay .

She said: “I didn’t know I was gay when I first joined but when I realized I might be I found out it was against the law. So at the risk of losing your job, you had to be extremely careful about who you knew and trusted people explicitly.

“My car was raided by the Royal Military Police when I was 22 – it left me with a lot of trauma and that’s why I only got out two years ago. I have lived with 34 years of fear – all from an institution that instilled it in me as a youth. I will never allow myself to feel this way again.”

Talking about the sense of peace, happiness and what gets her up in the morning, she said: “I’m still motivated to do so much. I have a platform and a voice – that makes me feel excited.”

And that includes encouraging Londoners to learn how to save a life.

After her inspirational speech, Dame Kelly took the chance to brush up on her life-saving skills, including how to recognize when someone is in cardiac arrest, perform chest compressions and use a defibrillator.

It only takes a few minutes to learn the simple steps to take when someone is having a cardiac arrest – but it can make all the difference in that life-or-death moment.

Dame Kelly Holmes said: “London Lifesavers training is a really great thing to do and I really believe that the more people who can train and are aware of what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest, the better. We all have those moments when we wonder “what would I do in an emergency?” – and it’s important to do this type of training so you have it in front of you.

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen, so it’s important to be armed with that knowledge and know how. I did this type of workout years ago and you remember bits and pieces – but it’s definitely good for a refresher and I’m so glad I tried it.

“The program is very important. I would tell all Londoners to give it a go, come to a pop-up or go online and see where you can train to save a life.”

Dame Kelly also undertook a tour of the LAS headquarters in Waterloo. Speaking about meeting all the people working on the frontline and behind the scenes to look after Londoners, she added:

“The whole experience for me was great and it was fascinating to see all the different departments. Frankly, I was humbled by everything that was going on – all the existing processes leading up to the Service. It was amazing to see how everyone was so passionate about going above and beyond to help others at the end of the day.”

London Ambulance Service’s London Lifesavers campaign aims to give people the knowledge, confidence and skills to act quickly if someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

Early intervention in the form of chest compressions and use of a defibrillator can more than double someone’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest.

Research shows that 76% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, which means learning these skills could help people save a loved one’s life.

Sam Palfreyman-Jones, Chief First Responder at London Ambulance Service, said: “I would like to thank Ms Kelly Holmes for attending this training today and encouraging people to learn these life-saving skills. Learning to restart a heart is simple — it can only take a few minutes, the time it took Kelly to win 1,500 gold at the Athens Olympics — but it could help save the life of someone you love.

“Kelly learned CPR many years before and understands the importance of maintaining these vital life-saving skills, which can be refreshed for free at any of our pop-up events across London.”

You can find out how to sign up to become a London Lifesaver and support the campaign here. If you would like to donate to this cause or take on a fundraising challenge of your own, visit: https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/getting-involved/support-the-london-ambulance-charity/.

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