Dame Kelly's athletic accomplishments include gold medals in the 800m and 1500m in the 2004 Athens Olympics. She is also a two-time Commonwealth champion, a multi-medalist at the Commonwealth European and World Championships, and a British record holder in the 600m and 800m. These achievements make her one of the most successful athletes of all time. As a child, Kelly Holmes worked in a factory to help support her family. At a very young age, she showed an interest in sports and began playing soccer and tennis. When she was 11 years old, she started running races and quickly became one of Australia's best female runners. In 1998, at the Sydney Olympic Games, she won a gold medal as part of the Australian women's 4x400m relay team. A year later, at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics, she won another gold medal as part of the same team. In 2003, Dame Kelly retired from competitive athletics but has since returned for several events including the 2004 Athens Olympics where she won a third gold medal. She has also competed in multiple events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics without winning any more gold medals. However, her career medal count stands at eight, the most of any female athlete at these games. After retiring from active competition, Holmes took up coaching and has worked with some of Australia's top athletes including Lauren Boyle, Peter Novak, and Alex McKinnon.