Sport is an integral part of modern society, transcending gender and age barriers. The key to success lies in passion and dedication. Women have long made their mark in this field, and today we focus on Kadeena Cox, a para-sport athlete from Leeds. Read on to discover more about her inspiring career on leedska.com.
About the Athlete
Kadeena Cox was born in 1991 in Leeds to Jamaican immigrant parents. She attended Bracken Edge Primary and Wetherby schools before enrolling at Manchester Metropolitan University to study physiotherapy.
Her athletic journey began at the age of 15, initially in hockey. Kadeena trained for three years and competed in regional tournaments. In 2007, she shifted her focus to running and won bronze in the U17 category at the England Athletics Open Championships in the 60-metre sprint.
Progress in Her Sporting Career
Kadeena Cox gradually devoted more time to athletics. In 2009, she participated in the Yorkshire and Humberside County Championships. Three years later, she competed nationally, setting a personal best in the 200-metre sprint at the BUCS Championships, securing bronze.
Year by year, Cox grew faster and achieved remarkable results. In 2013, she broke the 12-second barrier in the 100-metre sprint for the first time, clocking 11.93 seconds. Notably, she also competed for a place on the British skeleton team.
Battling Illness Without Giving Up on Sport
In May 2014, Kadeena Cox was hospitalized and diagnosed with a stroke. After two months of physiotherapy, she returned to her routine. However, in September that year, she experienced numbness in her arm and leg, leading to another hospital stay. This time, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Despite this life-changing condition, Cox set her sights on competing in the 2016 Summer Paralympics. She was classified as a T37 athlete in track and field and a C2 cyclist in track cycling.
In 2015, she was selected for the British team to compete in the World Para Athletics Championships. In Doha, Cox broke the world record and secured a gold medal.
At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Kadeena Cox excelled, winning gold in the 400-metre sprint, silver in the relay, and bronze in the 100-metre race, along with setting a new world record. She was honoured as the flag bearer for the British team during the closing ceremony.
Kadeena also shone in para-cycling, representing Great Britain at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, where she won gold.
Television Appearances
Beyond sport, Kadeena Cox has ventured into television. In 2016, she appeared on “Celebrity Mastermind”. The following year, she participated in the winter sports-themed show “The Jump”. In April 2018, Cox took part in “The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off” and has since featured in programs such as “Celebrity Gogglebox”, “Celebrity MasterChef”, “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!”, and “Doctors”.
This is the story of Kadeena Cox, an exceptional athlete from Leeds who overcame immense challenges to achieve greatness. We hope this article provided valuable insights into the inspiring journey of this renowned figure from Leeds.