Kelly Holmes made history at the Athens Olympics by winning both the 1500m and 800m gold.
Kelly was born on April 19 1970 in Pembury, Kent, the daughter of Constantine and Pamela Holmes.
Her non-sporting career includes spells as a recreation assistant, a nursing assistant and an army sergeant (physical training instructor).
According to The Guardian: "Holmes emerged at a time when there was no lottery to fund a full-time athletics career. At 18 she joined the army's Women's Royal Auxiliary Corp, initially driving four-tonne trucks. She never gave up her interest in sport, however, and retrained as a PT instructor in the Adjutants General Corps. Despite the demands of her career. She became army judo champion, ran in the men's 1500m at the army athletics championships rather than embarrass the women, and in one meeting ran the 800m, the 3,000m and a relay leg in one day, winning all her races."
During the BBC coverage when Kelly won her second gold, Brendan Foster said something like "surely we're going to have to call her Dame Kelly Holmes from now on" - to which Steve Cram replied: "Dame, Duchess, Queen, whatever you like"
Kelly Holmes is the first Briton for 84 years to achieve the Olympic middle-distance double.