KELVIN’s
Story
Kelvin Batey is a former two time BMX World Champion and has been an athlete mentor with Dame Kelly Holmes Trust for over seven years. He recently strengthened his relationship with the Trust by joining our Programmes Committee to act as an athlete voice on the committee that oversees the strategic aspects of the Trust’s programmes and activities. We caught up with him to talk about his career and his work as an athlete mentor.
Did you have any role models growing up or as a young man?
I looked up to my parents as I knew how much they sacrificed for me to be able to race in BMX. I was lucky I had them both support me in every way through the sport and without it, I dont think I would have achieved the things I did.
In a sporting sense I looked up to Michael Johnson, the 200m and 400m runner. I remember watching him win the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, wearing the golden shoes and breaking the 200m World Record, and I just thought he was amazing by taking such a huge margin off the then existing world record.
What skills do you need to compete at elite level?
When I was out on the track I was a totally different person to what I was like off the track. I flicked a switch and didnt care about anything else apart from the race I was about to race in. I think that mindset was such a big thing in training and racing. I set my goals and I was relentless in everything I did in my life to achieve them. I wasnt always successful though, which meant I had to learn to deal with failure, stay resilient and bounce back after any setbacks such as injuries or bad results.
There are so many skills that we work on in our programmes that transfer over from my sporting days, so being able to lean on my past experiences, really helps when working with our groups of young people.
What have been your best sporting achievements?
This has to be winning my last world title at the age of 34. It’s the one I will look back at with amazing memories because to be able to win that race in Europe, with friends, family and people close to me in the BMX world meant it made it even more special.
I chased a world title for years but when I won my first in New Zealand, I didnt really feel anything as there was nobody there to celebrate my achievement with, so the second time was definitely more special.
What has been your biggest sporting challenge throught your career?
The biggest challenge had to be the injuries. I suffered two or three career threatening injuries but having gone through that part of my career, it made me stronger as an athlete and as a person to deal with anything else that is put infront of me.
How does competing in elite sport relate to the issues that young people face?
I think the young people we work with can really relate to us quite easily as when we speak about our route to success with all the highs and lows, they really understand that it’s not always been so easy for us. When people see success in sport, they don’t see everything that goes on behind the scenes to enable that success. All the sacrifices, the days when you get up early to train in all types of weather, the recovery from any injuries or the 24/7 dedication that is put into your lifestyle. Most people only see a sportsperson stood on a podium with a medal, or them running out to represent their country so its easy to not think about the journey that person may have been on to get to that point of their career.
All of the hard times in sport also relate to life in general so to find their success, the young people begin to understand that the hard times they have been through, or the sacrifices they might need to make, are all part of their journey towards reaching their goals.
If you could go back and give advice to your younger self, what would that advice be and why?
I would make sure I emphasised to my younger self to try and take in every single moment as there were times when I just used to go to races, be in autopilot, race and then come home. I would just be going through the motions as such.
I still look back on my career and think what an amazing 20 years it was. For a normal kid from a little town in Warsop near Mansfield, to do the things I’ve done, meet the people I’ve met and see the places I’ve been to, all from picking up a little bike and starting racing at six years old.
What attracted you to becoming an athlete mentor?
I had worked in schools in the past as well as coaching within BMX, so I always felt as though I could connect with young people and get the best out of them . The opportunity to work at the Trust is something I grabbed with both hands, as what we do is something I am passionate about and have a true enjoyment from being involved in.
What is your favourite thing about being an athlete mentor?
Working with young people that benefit from a programme I’m involved in is priceless. To see people grow in confidence while gaining new skills and relationships is extremely rewarding. They show trust in you as a mentor on so many levels and that is such a priviliged position to be in.
Can you share one or two highlights from your time as an athlete mentor with the Trust?
There are so many highlights from my time at the Trust, it feels unfair to pick two out. However, I think through lockdown we really showed how flexible we are as a charity by still being able to complete and start programmes with young people, which at the time felt new to all of us.
I ran a Get on Track with young people from all over the country joining our group, which at the time, seemed quite daunting as I had never delivered sessions online via Zoom before. I was unsure as to how it would go. Understandably, the group were very quiet at the beginning of the programme, with very few even using their cameras. By the end, everyone got on amazingly well, using their cameras and all engaging in the programme in a big way. The majority ended being friends outside the programme, with some even travelling across the country to visit each other. It was amazing to see the transformation in so many of them, where they took away skills and qualities that will help them move forward with their lives in a positive way.
Our programmes are focused on physical and mental wellbeing. How do you look after your mental health?
My main thing is to make sure that I make time for people I love and care about. I am the happiest when I am around my family and friends whether we are out socialising, spending time learning new things at home, or going on holidays. The other thing I find that really helps my wellbeing is exercising and setting small goals within that exercise. These goals, whether in the gym, out running, or on the bike help keep me motivated in the same way I used goals to motivate me when I was racing.
Finally, what interested you about getting more involved with the Trust by joining the Programmes Committee?
I wanted to be able to see how the Trust runs behind the scenes and see if there is any way that my knowledge on delivery and working with young people, could help direct the way in which we move forward as an organisation and take decisions about the future.
