Stroud athletes mingle with stars
The youngsters, all from Stroud and District AC, were joined by parents and coaches to spend a week near Villamoura to kick-start their preparations for the forthcoming track season.
Olympic Games double gold medallist Holmes and former shot-putt star and World's Strongest Man contender Geoff Capes were also there, but for different reasons.
"We treated it partly as an end-of- cross country-season holiday, but also an opportunity to show the youngsters how they should be training," said coach Chris Frapwell.
"They were disciplined to tackle two sessions a day, although only one was running, with the other either core stability work, drills or just games of handball. In between they were left to their own devices, but most of the time they played football."
Frapwell has been taking a group of Stroud athletes to Portugal for the past five years, but this was the first time he had used the new base.
"The hotel has a track, a pool, ice baths, sauna and access to massage, while just half a mile away is a measured 2K cross-country loop," added Frapwell.
"It is used by a lot of international athletes and with us were six Russian Olympic medallists.
"It is a very safe environment for the kids and we will definitely use it again. I think the youngsters got a lot out of it."
Newly-crowned British Schools' champion Tom Curr was among the group that enjoyed a week in the sun and certainly will not forget the meeting with Holmes.
"We were at the cross-country course when Kelly Holmes turned up with a group of athletes from Loughborough University," said 16-year-old Curr.
"Imogen Briscoe went over to speak to her and next thing we were having a group photo.
"We also bumped into Geoff Capes watching the Champions League first leg match between Liverpool and Chelsea!
"He is a massive guy and a few of us shook his hand, and that stung for a while.
"Overall it was a fun week and we worked hard. Hopefully we will benefit from that in the track season."
Comment on this story