DOUBLE Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes was at St Edmund's Girls' School and Sports College in Laverstock on Wednesday to present a prestigious national award.

The award, from the Youth Sport Trust, recognises the school's achievement in its level of sports provision within the curriculum and its programme of after-school activities.

Dame Kelly took part in the school assembly, passing around her gold medals and telling the girls about her own school days and the way her PE teacher had encouraged her.

She also spoke of Olympic athlete Sebastian Coe, now Lord Coe, and how he had inspired her.

"At 14, I watched Seb Coe win his second gold medal and thought that's what I want to do - one day I'm going to be Olympic champion," she told them.

She said that taking part in sport had given her confidence, determination, leadership qualities, discipline and made her many friends.

"Sport has given me an avenue to be someone," she said.

She said she was delighted to be able to present the award to headteacher Jackie Goodall.

During her visit, Dame Kelly took part in a number of sporting activities, joining in as pupils from the three schools on the Laverstock campus - St Edmund's, Wyvern College and St Joseph's - put youngsters from St Andrew's Primary School through their paces as part of the young leaders module of their BTEC in Sport.

Later Dame Kelly, who is a National School Sport Champion - a government-backed role managed by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by Norwich Union - took part in a question and answer session with the girls.

She finished her afternoon visit by officially opening the school's new dance and drama studio.