Kate grills Kelly in Namibia

Kate Wilson is one of eight young people representing the Your Game All-Stars at the Next Step conference in Namibia.

Among the gathered guests attending the conference was Dame Kelly Holmes, who was there on behalf of UK Sport.

Kate caught up with the Olympic 800m and 1500m champion for a chat...

Kate Wilson Your Game All-Star

In the past 12 months I've met a lot of people that are in the public eye but no-one has come close to being as inspirational as one of my childhood heroes Kelly Holmes.

I got told once that you should never meet your heroes face-to-face as they never live up to your expectations, but somehow she managed to improve perception of herself.

I was lucky enough to be invited on to 5live with Kelly, and a team-mate from the All-Stars Jamal Othman, which was quite an experience.

Afterwards I asked if I could get a quick interview we to which she immediately obliged.

I asked all the usual questions - who was your hero growing up, how did you feel when you won the Olympic gold in the 800m and 1500m?

But what amazed me the most was that she still seemed to be in awe of her own achievements.

Kate also did a bit of coaching with local girls in Windhoek

"You never just suddenly decide to be a great sports person," she said.

"The journey that people take is more what you want to get across to this type of audience, so that people actually understand you're just an ordinary person like anybody else."

I explained that as a youngster I was an 800m runner and followed her career closely and it seemed to me that every time there was major event, she always seemed to get injured.

Did she ever think it wasn't going to happen? That it just wasn't meant to be?

"My first big injury was at the 1996 Olympic Games, I got a stress fracture but I did run," said Dame Kelly.

"I had painkillers and I came fourth and that gave me was that actual drive to think 'I've nearly done it'. I came fourth at the Olympic Games with a stress fracture, then what could I do injury-free?"

I asked how she would encourage a young person from a disadvantaged background to get involved in athletics.

"Within most clubs you are treated as an individual and they are willing to help," she said.

She also mentioned that some pretty amazing athletes have come from deprived backgrounds, have won medals and that some had even done it all bare foot.