Dame Kelly Holmes Inspires Triathletes at National Camp

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A selection of Britains aspiring young triathletes have just finished a four day National Talent Orientation Camp at Loughborough University, the first of its kind.

The camp, organised by the Youth Sport Trust in partnership with UK Sport, the Department for Education and Skills and the National Governing Bodies, involved elite athletes and coaches working alongside the handpicked 14-17 year olds from triathlon, cycling, rowing, sailing and canoeing. The overall aim of the camp was to prepare the young athletes for the many personal, sporting, academic and vocational challenges that lie ahead in the lead up to, and beyond, the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, who opened the camp on Saturday 6 January, said: The aim of the camp is to give these young people the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence to fulfil their potential not just in their chosen sport but in life.

The camp consisted of keynote speeches, presentations and workshops focused on four key themes: talent and ability, attitude and ambition, knowledge and understanding, and education and lifestyle support. The elite performers described what it is like to experience a major sporting event and answered questions on the highs and lows of training and competition.

Nina McArthur, one of the young British triathletes present on the camp said:
"The whole camp has been such an amazing experience and I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to go. We completed some tough sessions with the World Class Performance Coach Jack Maitland and triathlete Steph Forrester and listened to some really inspirational and meaningful talks. I now truly know that my ambition in triathlon has the chance to come true to be the triathlete standing on the podium at the Olympics wherever and whenever it may be, clutching that gold medal in my hand."

Dame Kelly Holmes told British Triathlon that she was very impressed with the dedication and hard work shown by the youngsters over the four days, commenting that the triathletes have been great they have to have everything, every single discipline in place to be successful, and weve seen that this weekend in their attitudes its a lifestyle, its a commitment.

When asked whether she had ever considered taking up triathlon during her lengthy lay offs through injury, when she swam and cycled for fitness, Dame Kelly said: I swim like a brick! I wouldnt even contemplate a triathlon, but duathlon sounds quite tempting! So who knows, maybe we can expect to see Kelly competing at a duathlon at some point in the coming years.