Olympic double gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes has been appointed as a non-executive Director of TUI Education; the Education Division of FTSE 100 listed travel giant TUI Travel PLC.

Sporting legend Dame Kelly, who was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005, will commence her engagement this month.

Pictured: Dame Kelly Holmes with Ian Finlay, managing director, TUI Education

Dame Kelly will play an active role on the TUI Education board, drawing on her immense military physical training background and sporting pedigree to ensure that students fulfil their potential and gain the most out of their experience when they travel with TUI Education.

She will also participate in important public speaking and training engagements during this time to bring the education experiences to life.

Ian Finlay, managing director, TUI Education, said: “We are delighted that Dame Kelly has accepted the role of non-executive Director at TUI Education.

“She is a hugely inspirational figure and her achievements speak for themselves – not just on the track but also through her charity, Doublegold.

“Dame Kelly is a great ambassador for sport, and for the life changing educational experiences that TUI Education delivers to its customers. 

“We welcome Dame Kelly onto our board, and look forward to working with her to keep TUI Education at the top of its market.”

In 2010 the Education Division of TUI carried 465,000 passengers, with a turnover of £228 million and EBITA of £27 million.

Dame Kelly Holmes added: “TUI Education shares my passion for empowering children and adults to perform to their best ability and this ethos is embedded into everything they do, from the way they coach and develop staff, to the trips they provide to hundreds of thousands of young people every year.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I hope that together, we can inspire more young people to achieve their personal best.”