DOUBLE Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes has been helping one of Liverpool Harrier’s brightest young stars develop her potential.
Rachael Thompson from Crosby has been part of Holmes’s ‘On Camp with Kelly’ mentoring initIative since it began in 2004. The scheme is aimed at encouraging the next generation of British middle distance athletes to achieve their potential.
Thompson, 23, who is aiming to bounce back after a injury stricken 2008 attended an Aviva sponsored training day hosted by Holmes in her home-town of Tonbridge. For Thompson and the other seven girls involved, the day offered the chance to review their 2008 season and lay out their plans for the coming 2009 year with the help of their mentor Holmes.
They carried out a tough training session as well as media training an physio and massage sessions. They also took part in a medical workshop with UK Athletics Medical Director Dr Paul Dijkstra who was part of Holmes’s support team during her athletics career.
Thompson said: “I really enjoyed the get-together and I found the training session particularly useful as you can see how you are getting on in comparison to the other girls who will eventually become rivals as the season begins. It was also great to catch up with Kelly. My aims for 2009 are to run a personal best over 800m and make the final of the UK Championships.”
Holmes was glad to see the rising star and has high hopes for Thompson in 2009: “I was very pleased to invite Rachael to my home town again. It is very important for me to catch up with her in person on a regular basis to see how things are going and how ‘On Camp with Kelly’ can assist her athletic career.”
For more information go to www.oncampwithkelly.co.uk
