Kadeena Cox started her sporting career as an able-bodied athlete in her teenage years but, aged 21, she suffered a stroke shattering her dreams of making it to the Olympics. On this week’s episode of Nobody Told Me… she tells the story of how her MS diagnosis led to her winning two Paralympic gold medals.

Following her stroke, Kadeena feared she had lost the life she had been preparing for. “I thought, ‘I’m about to lose all my independence. And never be able to be the athlete I want to be.’” she says while thinking back on her recovery days in hospital. She was later diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic disease that affects the nervous system, which would leave her dealing with immense pain.

After months of being bed-bound due to constant pain, she returned to running and started her career as a parasport athlete. In the episode, Kadeena shares her long-term struggle with body image and eating disorders. During her first international competition, just one year after her diagnosis, she was finally able to fulfil her sporting ambitions but her mental health had deteriorated. “I was able to perform well enough to get the gold medal but mentally I was broken”, she remembers.

Listen to Nobody Told Me… I’d Win Gold at the Paralympics with Kadeena Cox now. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast. Don’t forget to rate and review to share your thoughts on the series.