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 Paralympic athlete. She was born on March 10, 1991. Kadeena competes in two different sports: sprint events in para-athletics and para-cycling. She is famous for winning world titles and Paralympic medals in both.

At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, Kadeena made history. She became the first British Paralympian since 1984 to win gold medals in two different sports at the same Games! She won a bronze medal in the 100m sprint, then a gold in cycling, and another gold in the 400m sprint.

Kadeena has also appeared on British TV shows. In 2021, she was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She also won Celebrity MasterChef in September 2021.

Early Life and Education

Kadeena Cox was born in Leeds, England, on March 10, 1991. Her parents moved to Britain from Jamaica. She went to Bracken Edge Primary and Wetherby High School. Later, she studied physiotherapy at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Kadeena's Sporting Journey

Starting in Athletics

Kadeena began sprinting when she was 15 years old. Her hockey coach suggested she try it. For three years, she competed in regional races. She often finished in the top three in 100m events.

By 2007, she was also running 60m and 200m races. She won bronze medals in these events. In 2009, she set personal best times of 12.60 seconds for the 100m and 25.58 seconds for the 200m.

In 2012, Kadeena competed in national events. She set a new personal best in the 200m at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. In 2013, she ran the 100m in under 12 seconds for the first time. Her fastest 100m time was 11.93 seconds. Before her illness, Kadeena was also trying to join the British skeleton team.

Facing Health Challenges

In May 2014, Kadeena had a stroke. She was rushed to the hospital. After two months of physical therapy, she recovered and started training again.

However, in September 2014, she felt burning and numbness in her right arm and leg. She went back to the hospital. After many tests, doctors diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis. This is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord.

Becoming a Paralympic Star

After her diagnosis, Kadeena decided to aim for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio. She was classified as a T37 track and field athlete and a C2 track cyclist. These classifications help group athletes with similar disabilities.

Success in Para-Athletics

A month later, Kadeena was chosen for the Great Britain team. She competed at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. She entered the T37 100m and 200m sprints.

In the 100m heats, Kadeena set a new world record with a time of 13.59 seconds. She then won the gold medal in the 100m T37 final. Her time was 13.60 seconds.

In June 2016, Kadeena was reclassified as a T38 athlete. This category is for athletes with less severe disabilities. Despite this change, she was still chosen for the Rio Paralympics.

At the 2016 Games, she won a gold medal in the T38 400m. She also set a new world record of 1:00.71 in this race. Kadeena won a silver medal in the 4 × 100m relay and a bronze in the T38 100m. She was chosen to carry the flag for the British team at the closing ceremony.

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Kadeena competed in the T38 400m. She finished 4th, achieving her season's best time.

Success in Para-Cycling

In September 2015, Kadeena won a gold medal in the C1-5 Mixed Gender Sprint Time Trial at the British National Track Championships.

In March 2016, she competed at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. She was reclassified as a C4 cyclist just one day before the event. Despite this, she won gold in the 500m time trial. She set a new world record of 37.456 seconds.

Kadeena was named to the Great Britain team for the Rio Paralympics. She won gold in the 500m time trial at the 2016 Paralympics. Her time of 34.598 seconds was another new world record.

At the Tokyo Paralympics, Kadeena won gold again in the time trial. She set another world record with a time of 34.812 seconds.

In 2024, at the Paris Paralympics, Kadeena won gold with her British teammates Jaco van Gass and Jody Cundy. They won the C1-5 750m team sprint.

Awards and Special Honours

Kadeena Cox has received special honours 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 are very important awards from the British Royal Family.

In March 2017, Kadeena won the Sporting Equals Sportswoman of the Year award. This award celebrates athletes from diverse backgrounds.

In June 2022, Kadeena rode a cycle alongside Sir Chris Hoy in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. This event celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne.

Media 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. Later that month, she won an episode of Celebrity Robot Wars with her robot, Kadeena Machina.

In 2017, she took part in the winter sports show The Jump. In April 2018, Kadeena 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!. In June 2022, she made a small appearance in the BBC soap opera Doctors.

On January 7, 2023, Kadeena performed on stage in The Awakening. This was the first event for Leeds 2023, a year-long cultural festival in her home city.