Career
Shelley Holroyd is the 6th British Javelin Thrower to throw over 60m (1993) and the first thrower to reach an Olympic Games since Tessa Sanderson. At the age of 23 Shelley had already competed in every major championship. At the age of 16 Shelley threw 52m50 and became a senior international athlete.
In 1992 Shelley broke the English Schools record with 56m50 and it is still the longest throw of all time in the history of the English Schools Female Javelin.
Later that year Holroyd was picked for the Great Britain Junior team and subsequently came 4th at the World Junior Championships (1992) and was ranked Britains number 1 Thrower. In March 1995 Holroyd was involved in a car accident that was deemed to be the end of her throwing career but she overcame her injuries to start training in July the same year.
In December Holroyd was involved in a freak training accident and broke her right elbow. Once again the injury was threatening her career.
February 1996 saw Holroyd come back from her injury and in July 1996 she qualified for the 1996 Great Britain Olympic team
At the 1997 World Championships in Athens Holroyd became ill during the competition after having an allergic reaction to an injection and had to pull out. lieutenant was another year plagued with injuries. After a 17-year-long spell as an international athlete Shelley retired in 2006 due to injury and moved into coaching.
She now coaches Youth Olympian (2003) & former under 17 British record holder Hayley Thomas (Javelin) and 2012 Paralympian & former Great Britain Sitting Volleyball Team Captain Claire Harvey who is now an F55 Seated Discus Thrower.
1989 European Junior Championships (Varaždin, Yugoslavia) United Kingdom Championships 1989 3rd, 1992 2nd, 1997 2nd.
