Kate Howey was born in Andover, Hampshire on 31 May 1973.
She first stepped onto a judo mat aged seven and was coached by her father David, who was a black belt. Kate's parents separated when she was four years old.
Kate became world junior champion in 1990 and burst onto the Olympic scene with bronze at the age of 19 in Barcelona 1992.
She went on to win silver at Sydney 2000 and led Team GB into the Olympic Stadium in Athens as flagbearer in 2004. Kate is now head coach at British Judo.
At 21, Kate came out to her parents as gay. It would be 24 years before she spoke about her sexuality publicly, in an interview with British Judo in 2018.
She now has a young son, Owen, with her partner Sophia.
Kate writes a letter to her 21-year-old self, full of life lessons and candid reflections on the moments that made her who she is today.
Dear Kate,
You've never been like other girls. You were never into dresses, even as a toddler.
Your sister was all makeup and Duran Duran posters while you were Ceefaxing the Spurs score and roaming around the estate playing with any ball you could find.
Dad is the man who's made you who you are so far. He hasn't missed any of your competitions yet and will only miss two in the next decade.
Remember when you won that tacky little bronze medal at the club and Dad said: "you're going to be good one day." Not for the first time - or the last - he is right.
Seeing your parents split up was hard, but it’s probably toughened the you up mentally, a massive asset in judo that you will tap into for the rest of your life.
All of Dad's money, effort and time since you were seven has gone into making you a better fighter. You have done so well you are now close to becoming independent.
The medals have come in and you got that special Olympic one. But after Barcelona, you’ve become cocky and taken your foot off the gas.
Because it happened so young, you think it's easy. You should be peaking in Atlanta 1996, but you're about to get a huge kick up the backside because you bomb out.
You will learn you can't rely on talent - you have to put the work in. Keep training hard and the results will come.
So far, sexuality is something you have avoided talking about. But you are gay - and your siblings know. When you told them, they said: "yeah, we've always known."
How you handled that coming out chat with Mum and Dad will shape the rest of your life.
Dad was blasé about it but Mum struggled to handle the news and you haven’t talked about it enough with her.
It's not her fault but she worries she's done something wrong. She thinks it's a phase and it takes her a lot of time to be OK with it.
You have to talk to her about how she feels right now - how you both feel. Brave it out, sit there and have a grown-up conversation. Tell her it's not her fault.
If the people closest to you understand who you are and what you are, at least then you'll have a bit of solitude and a safe place at home.
If there's one bit of advice I'd give, it's this - come out publicly. It means you won't walk into meeting rooms and arenas as a coach 25 years later and still be nervous, because you buried it for so long. Everyone knows anyway girl!!!!
Competing as an ‘out athlete’ might make you a better fighter, who knows it could the difference between gold and silver one day. Don’t let it be something you might regret.
What it will fundamentally change is the confidence and development you have in your personal life. Be true to yourself.
In 1994, being ‘out and proud’ is scary and deemed negatively, there aren't enough role models out there for you to follow to feel safe. You’ve watched the legend that is Martina Navratilova lose money and sponsors.
Until 2018, you'll worry that people won't give you a job, or will distance themselves from you because you're gay. But the world will change, you will be accepted. You just can’t imagine it yet, take a leap of faith.
You will not believe me when I say that in 24 years you will have a son. It’s not something you think is possible. You will be on his birth certificate and one of his legal parents.
Being open in the future gets easier as soon as your son arrives it makes sense. You want your son to not be afraid, you want him to grow up in a world without prejudice.
So, speak out, be a trailblazer, face the negativity head on, and surround yourself with positive people as your shield. You have fabulous friends and family and will go on to have more. They will always be there for you.
Please, be honest, tell people who you are.