I’m a Celebrity: Paralympian Kadeena Cox says producers have adapted Bushtucker Trials so she can compete
Athlete was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was 23
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Your support makes all the difference.Kadeena Cox has opened up about how the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! team have adapted the Bushtucker Trials around her Multiple Sclerosis.
The 30-year-old athlete is a four-time Paralympic gold medallist, having competed for Team GB as both a sprinter and cyclist. You can read more about her here.
Ahead of Sunday (21 November) night’s series opener, Cox revealed that she was determined to still compete to the best of her ability at Gwyrch Castle, despite having been diagnosed with MS in 2014.
The lifelong condition can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance.
Cox told the Radio Times that not being able to properly take part was “one of my biggest fears and one of the reasons I probably didn’t want to do the show, because I didn’t want to be that person that would be exempt from loads of trials”.
“I’ve always been a person who is more about what I can do rather than what I can’t do, but I have spoken with the team and we talked about ways in which we can adapt things and ways in which we can make sure I can do the trials without having to miss opportunities,” she said.
Cox explained that there were “things in place” to ensure she could still do the trials, adding: “It’s great that the team have worked so closely with me to make sure that I won’t have to feel like my disability is holding me back.”
During the opening episode of I’m a Celebrity, Cox won her first challenge with fellow athlete Matty Lee, helping the red team to victory and winning their first night in the castle, while the losing team spent the evening on basic rations in Castle Clink.
Monday’s (22 November) episode will see Emmerdale star Danny Miller take part in the first Bushtucker Trial of the series, an eating challenge called the Dreaded Diner.
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues tonight at 9pm on ITV.
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