Paralympian Kadeena Cox says her campmates on I’m A Celebrity have made her feel “so comfortable” that she has been willing to share “more personal stuff” on the show.
The four-time gold medal winner, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), said she likes to talk about her medical condition to help people gain a better understanding of it.
Discussing her career at Main Camp during Tuesday’s episode, she said: “I was a runner from a young age.
“(In) 2014, when I had my stroke and was diagnosed with MS, I couldn’t run.
“I just kept falling over, my balance was so bad.
“(But) when you’re an athlete, you’re so goal driven.
“So when I was in hospital, I was like, ‘I need something to get me through.’ Trying to get back into the sport was like, ‘Ok, this is my goal’.”
Cox later added in the Bush Telegraph: “I always talk about my condition to allow people to get an understanding.
“It’s not very well known.
“I think these guys have made me feel so comfortable that I can just share some of the more personal stuff.
“As much as it’s tough, I wouldn’t have changed it and it’s given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had.”
Cox’s campmates also expressed their admiration for her honesty, describing her as “inspirational”.
Olympic swimmer and fellow gold-medal winner Matty Lee said: “She can empower other people with MS.
“They can look up to someone who has done some of the best things that you can do in sport. It’s truly amazing.”
Pop singer Frankie Bridge added: “We all definitely find Kadeena inspirational.
“Going through everything she’s been through and still doing amazingly and achieving the things she wants to achieve.
“Her diagnosis just hasn’t held her back at all. She seems like she takes everything in your stride.”
