# Dame Kelly Holmes announced as Fundraising Convention plenary speaker

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/05/15/dame-kelly-holmes-announced-as-fundraising-convention-plenary-speaker/
- Published: 2019-05-15T08:00:50+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Institute of Fundraising has announced that Dame Kelly Holmes will be Fundraising
Convention’s plenary speaker on Wednesday 3 July.**

As well as an Olympian, Holmes is a motivational speaker with expertise in mental
health issues and the founder of the [Dame Kelly Holmes Trust](https://www.damekellyholmestrust.org/),
which supports disadvantaged young people and athletes across the UK.

The athlete has set, and still holds, the British records in the 600m, 800m and 
1000m, and is an Olympic, Commonwealth and European champion who has achieved seven
Gold, eight Silver and four Bronze medals throughout her career. This includes a
double win in the 800m and 1500m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she 
became the first Briton in over 80 years to do so.

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She has also won BBC Sports Personality of the Year, European Athlete of the Year
and been honoured with a Damehood from the Queen and appointed Honorary Colonel 
of the Royal Armoured Corps.

However, before Dame Kelly started winning gold medals, her career was overshadowed
by injury and disappointment. In her talks she draws on how she found the determination
and dedication to overcome this, and also uses information from her life as a physical
training instructor in the British Army, as well as her athletics career and role
as The National School Sport Champion, to highlight the importance of sport and 
self care.

## Other plenary speakers

Other plenary speakers at Fundraising Convention include:

 * [Hannah Ingram-Moore](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/09/14/hannah-ingram-moore-is-opening-plenary-speaker-at-fundraising-convention-online/)(
   2021)
 * [Sir Lenny Henry](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/06/25/sir-lenny-henry-to-give-conventions-opening-plenary-speech/)(
   2020)
 * [Will Gompertz](https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/03/09/will-gompertz-fatima-bhutto-june-sarpong-headline-iof-convention-plenary-speakers/)(
   2018)
 * Jon Snow (2017)
 * [Dan Pallotta](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/07/07/collected-resources-national-convention-2010/)(
   2010)
 * [John Bird MBE](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/27/plenary-speakers-announced-national-fundraising-convention/)(
   2009)

  

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