Suzi kick-starts season preparation with Dame Kelly camp trip

SUZI Boast kick-started her preparation for the 2011 outdoor athletics season with a little help from double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes.

Boast, who is a middle distance athlete from St Neots and celebrates her 21st birthday later this month, recently attended the first On Camp with Kelly get together of the year in Holmes’ hometown of Tonbridge, Kent - and is a mentoring programme she has been part of since 2007.

She had been due to take part in an intense session in Knole Park, involving arduous hill sprints and threshold training.

However, as she is currently recovering from an injury, Boast was only fit enough for a gym session but was able to benefit from a mentoring session with Holmes, who won 800m and 1,500m gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Boast, who was a member of the Riverside Runners before joining Bedford & County AC, said: “It was good to be around all of the other On Camp With Kelly girls and it is great encouragement to help get me back to full fitness.

“Coming together here is always great as there are always other girls in a similar situation to you.

“It has helped me hugely since I started the programme and being mentored by Kelly is just fantastic.”

Holmes said: “It is always a pleasure to work with talented athletes such as Suzi and I hope that the weekend has equipped her well for what promises to be an exciting outdoor season.”