Dame Kelly Holmes Trust

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0:00:08 > 0:00:12Kelly Holmes, striding out. A huge roar from this crowd!

0:00:12 > 0:00:15I'm so proud of my athletic achievements.

0:00:15 > 0:00:19Kelly comes home to take the gold once more for England!

0:00:19 > 0:00:23When I think back to those moments as a winner, I'm filled with happiness.

0:00:23 > 0:00:26But the medals don't tell my whole story.

0:00:27 > 0:00:29Like others, my childhood wasn't easy.

0:00:29 > 0:00:34I spent time at a care home, lived on a council estate,

0:00:34 > 0:00:36and I really struggled at school.

0:00:36 > 0:00:41In fact, most of the time, I didn't think I was good at anything.

0:00:41 > 0:00:44Everything changed when a PE teacher spotted some potential in me

0:00:44 > 0:00:48and encouraged me to focus, work hard and believe in myself.

0:00:49 > 0:00:53She gave me the push I needed, and I have a lot to thank her for.

0:00:53 > 0:00:56I know that sometimes it just takes one individual to change

0:00:56 > 0:00:59the course of a young person's life.

0:00:59 > 0:01:02And that's why I founded the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, because too many

0:01:02 > 0:01:05young people don't have that special someone to help them

0:01:05 > 0:01:07reach their true potential.

0:01:12 > 0:01:1623-year-old Martine had a hard start in life.

0:01:16 > 0:01:20I put myself into care when I was 14 and I had to move around quite

0:01:20 > 0:01:22a lot while I was in the care system.

0:01:23 > 0:01:25I was suffering from depression.

0:01:25 > 0:01:28At times I'd get really low, but then I'd have a little drink

0:01:28 > 0:01:33with my friends and have a laugh, and it was all right again.

0:01:33 > 0:01:36But escaping from her difficulties through the bottle only landed

0:01:36 > 0:01:38Martine in more trouble.

0:01:39 > 0:01:42When I was getting drunk, drunk and disorderly, I was getting arrested

0:01:42 > 0:01:46because as soon as a police officer spoke to me I'd have an argument.

0:01:46 > 0:01:48Some of the stuff I done, I was taken to court and prosecuted,

0:01:48 > 0:01:51so it left me with a criminal record.

0:01:51 > 0:01:54I didn't care about anything or anyone.

0:01:54 > 0:01:57At 16, Martine became a mother.

0:01:57 > 0:02:00She was on her own and now she was responsible for her son, too.

0:02:00 > 0:02:02I had to live in hostels,

0:02:02 > 0:02:05and not really knowing what I was doing from one day to the next

0:02:05 > 0:02:08was difficult, because it wasn't just me, it was my child, as well.

0:02:10 > 0:02:13I thought I was growing up, but kept getting into trouble.

0:02:13 > 0:02:16Back to drinking, back to doing the same silly things.

0:02:16 > 0:02:20I kind of realised that if I didn't fix the issues I had,

0:02:20 > 0:02:24around my anger and the way I was being,

0:02:24 > 0:02:27that I could possibly lose my son - they could have taken him.

0:02:27 > 0:02:29But I just couldn't see a way out of it.

0:02:34 > 0:02:37Curtis May also had a difficult time as a kid.

0:02:37 > 0:02:42Me and my family, we used to get abused by my mum's ex-partner.

0:02:44 > 0:02:49He was violent, abusive, and every day it was just torture.

0:02:52 > 0:02:56As he got into his teens, Curtis experienced bullying at school, too.

0:02:56 > 0:02:58I got bullied every day.

0:02:58 > 0:03:01I turned up to school, I didn't want to go into school.

0:03:01 > 0:03:03I never really had any friends.

0:03:03 > 0:03:05I was really cutting myself off from the world.

0:03:05 > 0:03:07I'd just stay in my room, go on my game console,

0:03:07 > 0:03:09and just block everything out.

0:03:13 > 0:03:17But of course, avoiding school didn't make Curtis's problems go away.

0:03:17 > 0:03:20I was thinking every day, I don't have a future.

0:03:20 > 0:03:24The dreams that I had, the thoughts in my head was just saying, "No,

0:03:24 > 0:03:28"you can't do it, you're not strong enough to do it," and I believed it.

0:03:28 > 0:03:31Because I didn't have the confidence.

0:03:31 > 0:03:35I went to the doctor's and he said it was actually severe depression.

0:03:37 > 0:03:41And when I was told that, it hit me with a...

0:03:41 > 0:03:44like a bomb had hit me, really.

0:03:45 > 0:03:49If you're young and you feel like your life is going nowhere,

0:03:49 > 0:03:52it's so easy to feel a sense of total defeat.

0:03:52 > 0:03:57Although I won two gold medals, the journey to the top was so hard.

0:03:57 > 0:04:01I suffered from numerous injuries and also depression.

0:04:01 > 0:04:04Throughout my career, I've had to learn resilience, confidence

0:04:04 > 0:04:07and focus, and these are precisely the attitudes that

0:04:07 > 0:04:09so many young people could learn, too.

0:04:11 > 0:04:14To do this, the charity has developed a range of courses that pair up

0:04:14 > 0:04:16world-class athletes with young people,

0:04:16 > 0:04:20to help them get their lives back on track.

0:04:20 > 0:04:24During months of mentoring, a young person can gain so much confidence

0:04:24 > 0:04:27and insight from elite sports people who have spent their lives

0:04:27 > 0:04:28overcoming setbacks.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33After 18 months out of work,

0:04:33 > 0:04:36Martine was offered a place on the Trust's Get On Track programme.

0:04:36 > 0:04:40To start with, she wasn't sure it was for her.

0:04:40 > 0:04:43The first day was... It was scary.

0:04:43 > 0:04:46I didn't want to speak to anyone, kept my head down.

0:04:47 > 0:04:52Former Olympic triple jumper Michelle Robinson was Martine's new mentor.

0:04:52 > 0:04:54A lot of them haven't had a role model,

0:04:54 > 0:04:57they haven't had the great parenting.

0:04:57 > 0:04:59Martine knew she had to change.

0:04:59 > 0:05:00She knew she had an ability.

0:05:00 > 0:05:02We also know from the outside watching,

0:05:02 > 0:05:04this is a smart little cookie here.

0:05:04 > 0:05:08And that's what the Get On Track programme is about, it's about

0:05:08 > 0:05:10unlocking the potential of a young person

0:05:10 > 0:05:12and allowing them to flourish.

0:05:14 > 0:05:18As the course went on, Martine's belief in herself began to grow.

0:05:19 > 0:05:22'I knew if I needed to speak to Michelle she'd take her time

0:05:22 > 0:05:26'and speak to me, and work a way through things with me,

0:05:26 > 0:05:28'even if I thought it was the end of something, she'd tell me how

0:05:28 > 0:05:31'to get round it or get over it,'

0:05:31 > 0:05:33and give me other directions to go in.

0:05:34 > 0:05:37Soon Michelle decided it was time for Martine to take on some

0:05:37 > 0:05:38responsibility,

0:05:38 > 0:05:42organising a Christmas party for a group of local pensioners.

0:05:44 > 0:05:46'I kind of shied away from leading,

0:05:46 > 0:05:48'because I'd rather just get told what to do,'

0:05:48 > 0:05:51but Michelle told me that I was leader and that I was going to lead.

0:05:51 > 0:05:54'I took my team away and give them a little bit of a prep talk.

0:05:54 > 0:05:56'I realised that I have got the leadership skills that

0:05:56 > 0:05:58'Michelle's been telling me that I have.'

0:05:58 > 0:06:03Martine absolutely delivered on that day and that's when she started

0:06:03 > 0:06:07to believe, actually, after all these years of people telling me

0:06:07 > 0:06:09I couldn't do things, actually I can.

0:06:13 > 0:06:16By the end of the course, I was beaming with confidence,

0:06:16 > 0:06:19I felt I finally knew who I was,

0:06:19 > 0:06:20and I knew where I wanted to go

0:06:20 > 0:06:23and I didn't want to be in trouble any more.

0:06:24 > 0:06:27Curtis also took part in a Get On Track programme.

0:06:27 > 0:06:30I know that times are cold, but trust me, they'll get warmer

0:06:30 > 0:06:33Because there's a brighter future round the corner...

0:06:33 > 0:06:37After a year of mentoring, he's back at college studying music technology.

0:06:37 > 0:06:42I try to ride around so I can try to find some healing...

0:06:42 > 0:06:45'I've come a long way from that shy boy

0:06:45 > 0:06:47'who was in his room all the time.

0:06:47 > 0:06:51'I'm really into my music and every day I'm going up'

0:06:51 > 0:06:55and towards everything that I've always wanted to achieve.

0:06:55 > 0:06:59And it feels amazing, it feels like a blessing, really.

0:07:01 > 0:07:04To succeed at anything, you've got to have the right attitude,

0:07:04 > 0:07:07and we believe successful sports men and women are just

0:07:07 > 0:07:09the people to deliver that.

0:07:09 > 0:07:10I was looking up to them

0:07:10 > 0:07:13because they've accomplished something so great for the

0:07:13 > 0:07:17country, like win a gold medal, and I had a dream that I wanted to do.

0:07:17 > 0:07:21If it wasn't for the Trust I don't think I'd be able to go

0:07:21 > 0:07:24out on stage and perform my heart out.

0:07:27 > 0:07:30At the Trust, we know we've succeeded if our young people leave us

0:07:30 > 0:07:31with the motivation,

0:07:31 > 0:07:35confidence and skills that they need to find work and get on in life.

0:07:35 > 0:07:39Martine now supports her son by working for a rail company.

0:07:39 > 0:07:42I love my job and I love the responsibility I've been given.

0:07:42 > 0:07:44The Trust are just amazing.

0:07:45 > 0:07:47Without someone giving me

0:07:47 > 0:07:51that opportunity I could have never got to where I am now.

0:07:51 > 0:07:54Our inspirational athletes want to help more young people lead

0:07:54 > 0:07:55positive lives.

0:07:55 > 0:08:00Our Trust has helped over 200,000 people towards a hopeful future.

0:08:00 > 0:08:04With nearly one million young people out of education, employment

0:08:04 > 0:08:08and training, there's clearly thousands more that need our support.

0:08:08 > 0:08:13We rely heavily on donations to carry on, so join me to go that extra mile.

0:08:13 > 0:08:15Please donate whatever you can to help young people

0:08:15 > 0:08:18in your community reach their true potential.

0:08:29 > 0:08:32Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.

0:08:37 > 0:08:39Texts cost £10 plus your standard message charge,

0:08:39 > 0:08:42and the whole £10 goes to the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

0:08:42 > 0:08:46Full terms and conditions can be found at bbc.co.uk/lifeline.

0:08:46 > 0:08:49If you'd like to post a donation, please make your cheque payable

0:08:49 > 0:08:53to Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and send to Freepost, BBC Lifeline Appeal.

0:08:53 > 0:08:57Write Dame Kelly Holmes Trust on the back of the envelope.

0:08:57 > 0:09:00If you want the charity to claim gift aid on your donation,

0:09:00 > 0:09:02please include an e-mail or postal address

0:09:02 > 0:09:05so that they can send you a gift aid form.

0:09:05 > 0:09:07Thank you.