Holmes is where the heart is

Who would you pick out as being Britain's best medal hopes in Beijing?

Kelly Holmes: I think we've got a chance to pick up lots of medals right across the sports. One that I'm really interested in is Vicky Pendleton in the cycling. She's already World Champion from earlier this year in Manchester. She's a really great girl, very focused, and if she performs at her best she will bring back a medal.

I was speaking to Steve Redgrave and he was saying how he thinks the women's four might win gold in rowing which will be great because the guys have won it in the past. In athletics, Kelly Sotherton is looking at the gold this year, with her main rivals Carolina Kluft and Jessica Ennis not competing.

Phillips Odowu in triple jump is world number one at the moment. As long as he keeps his head, goes there and just treats it like another meeting, he'll do very well.

He's always shown so much promise over the years but not always delivered on the big stage. I know from experience how you can end up trying too hard at major championships and with a technical event like triple jump that can be a problem. But hopefully he'll keep cool!

There's been a lot of talk about Beijing - the pollution, the demonstrations that marred the torch relay. Are you confident all that will be forgotten once the Games are underway?

Kelly Holmes: I think so. Whenever any country is highlighted there's always something that will create a story in the media. From an athlete's point of view, no one chooses where the Games go. You get told where it is, you dedicate your life to it. All your focus, commitment and determination is directed at that one goal and so you're just concentrating on the Games.

Any of the negative stuff is really about people politically sorting that out an earlier time and not letting it overshadow the Games. I hope from a Games point of view and sport's point of view that it is a really fantastic event. There's always going to be something negative that comes up but hopefully we'll be able to concentrate on the big performances.

Aside from athletics are there any events you're particularly looking forward to?

Kelly Holmes: Definitely the cycling events. I know a young girl called Shanaze Reade, she's a BMX rider - BMX is a show event this year - and she's such a brilliant, confident girl.

She really made me laugh recently when she came up to me all excited saying 'Oh Kelly, you're my hero', and then she said 'but I'm going to win three gold medals in 2012!' I just thought 'great, go for it!' She's got such a great future.

How important is it that Britain continues to produce world-class athletes to inspire generations to come?

Kelly Holmes: It's so important. Young people need to see it and think it's achievable. Sometimes things seem so far away but when you're genuinely inspired by something it can seem so much more real so it's important that we continue to have those inspirational figures.

You've spoken passionately about how important it is to stay drug-free as an athlete. Do you think that message is finally getting across after a few unwanted headlines?

Kelly Holmes: Of course. There's always going to be high-profile cases that come up and, actually, when something positive comes out of that, it sets a big precedent.

I'm sure now that people right across the world are looking and thinking about what it is we need to do to make sure the positives in sport are talked about and not just the negatives. You can only do that when you take a strong stance on things and I think that's what's started to happen.

Dame Kelly Holmes is promoting the Kellogg's Wake Up to Breakfast campaign, helping people perform at their very best, whether on the playing field, at school or at work.