Kadeena Cox facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kadeena Cox
OBE

Cox at the 2016 Paralympics
Personal information
Nationality	Great Britain
Born	(1991-03-10) 10 March 1991 (age 34) Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Residence	Kingdom of Heaven
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Athletics, cycling
Disability class	T38, C4
Event(s)	T38 sprint, C4 para-cycling
Club	Sale Harriers
Coached by	Joseph McDonnell
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	1st – 100 m (T37) 1st – 400m WR (T38)
Personal best(s)	100m sprint: 12.98s 200m sprint: 27.15s 400m sprint: 1:00.71
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Women's para athletics Paralympic Games Gold 2016 Rio 400 m – T38 Silver 2016 Rio 4 × 100 m – T35-38 Bronze 2016 Rio 100 m – T38 World Championships Gold 2015 Doha 100 m – T37 Gold 2015 Doha 4 × 100 m – T35-38 Gold 2017 London 400 m – T38 Silver 2017 London 100 m – T38 Bronze 2017 London 200 m – T38 European Championships Bronze 2016 Grosseto 200 m – T38 Women's para cycling Paralympic Games Gold 2016 Rio C4-5 time trial Gold 2020 Tokyo C4-5 time trial Gold 2020 Tokyo Mixed team sprint C1–5 Gold 2024 Paris Mixed team sprint C1–5 Track World Championships Gold 2016 Montichiari 500 m time trial – C4 Gold 2022 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines 500 m time trial – C4 Gold 2023 Glasgow 500 m time trial – C4 Gold 2024 Rio de Janeiro 500 m time trial – C4 Silver 2020 Milton 500 m time trial – C4 Silver 2023 Glasgow Mixed team sprint – C1–5

Kadeena Cox is an amazing British athlete born on March 10, 1991. She competes in two different parasports: sprinting in athletics and cycling. A parasport athlete is someone who competes in sports with a physical disability.

Kadeena has won many world titles and gold medals at the Paralympic Games. She is famous for being the first British Paralympian to win gold medals in two different sports at the same Games. This happened at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.

Besides her sports career, Kadeena has also appeared on British television. She won Celebrity MasterChef in 2021 and was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

About Kadeena Cox

Kadeena Cox was born in Leeds, England. Her parents came to Britain from Jamaica. She went to Bracken Edge Primary and Wetherby High School. Later, she studied physiotherapy at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Her Sporting Journey

Kadeena's journey in sports is truly inspiring. She started as an athlete without a disability before becoming a parasport star.

Before Her Diagnosis

Kadeena started sprinting when she was 15 years old. Her hockey coach suggested she try it. She quickly became very good, winning medals in 100m, 60m, and 200m races. By 2013, she could run the 100m in under 12 seconds. She even tried out for the British skeleton team.

In May 2014, Kadeena had a stroke. After two months of recovery, she started training again. But in September 2014, she felt strange burning and numbness in her arm and leg. Doctors then diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis. This is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord.

Becoming a Parasport Athlete

After her diagnosis, Kadeena decided to aim for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio. She was classified as a T37 track and field athlete for sprinting and a C2 track cyclist. These classifications help make sure athletes compete fairly based on their disability.

Success in Para-Athletics

In 2015, Kadeena joined the Great Britain team for the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. She set a new world record in the 100m T37 sprint. She then won a gold medal in the final.

In June 2016, Kadeena's classification changed to T38. This meant she was in a category for athletes with less severe disabilities. Even with this change, she was chosen for the Rio Paralympics. At the Games, she won a gold medal in the T38 400m race, setting a new world record. She also won a silver medal in the 4 × 100m relay and a bronze in the T38 100m. Kadeena was chosen to carry the flag for the British team at the closing ceremony.

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, which happened in 2021, Kadeena competed in the T38 400m. She finished fourth, achieving her best time of the season.

Success in Para-Cycling

Kadeena also excelled in para-cycling. In September 2015, she won a gold medal at the British National Track Championships.

In March 2016, she competed at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. Even though her cycling classification changed to C4 just before the event, she won a gold medal in the 500m time trial. She set a new world record of 37.456 seconds. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Kadeena won another gold in the 500m time trial, setting a new world record of 34.598 seconds.

At the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, Kadeena successfully defended her time trial title. She won gold again with a world record time of 34.812 seconds. In the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Kadeena won another gold medal. She was part of the C1-5 750m team sprint with her British teammates Jaco van Gass and Jody Cundy.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Kadeena has received special honors for her achievements. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2017. This was for her services to athletics. In 2022, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to both athletics and cycling. These awards are given to people who have made a big difference to the country.

In 2017, Kadeena was named the Sporting Equals Sportswoman of the Year. In June 2022, she rode a cycle alongside Sir Chris Hoy in "The Time of Our Lives" section of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. This was a big event celebrating the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

TV Appearances

Cox on stage at The Awakening, for LEEDS 2023

Kadeena has appeared on several TV shows. In December 2016, she was on Celebrity Mastermind. She also won an episode of Celebrity Robot Wars with her robot, Kadeena Machina.

In 2017, she took part in The Jump, a winter sports show. In 2018, she was on The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off to raise money for charity. She appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox in 2021 and 2024. In September 2021, Kadeena won Celebrity MasterChef.

In November 2021, Kadeena was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was the second person to leave the show. In June 2022, she had a small role in the TV show Doctors. In January 2023, Kadeena appeared on stage in The Awakening. This was the first event for LEEDS 2023, a year-long cultural festival in her home city. She also appeared on Would I Lie To You? in January 2025.