Kadeena Cox Keynote Speaker

Five-time Paralympic gold medallist, cycling & athletics
MBE (2017) and OBE (2022) honours for elite sport
Author of Kadeena the Dreamer (Collins Big Cat, 2024)

Kadeena Cox's Biography

Kadeena Cox OBE is one of Britain’s most versatile Paralympians, a world-class track cyclist and sprinter who has rewritten what “possible” looks like under pressure. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014, she channelled an uncertain prognosis into a precise plan: compete at the highest level again, on her terms.

That decision sparked a rare double-career. At Rio 2016, Cox won Paralympic gold on the velodrome in the C4–5 500m time trial, then returned to the track to claim the T38 400m title becoming the first British Paralympian in more than three decades to win gold medals in two different sports at the same Games. Her achievements also earned her the honour of carrying the flag at the closing ceremony.

She has since added further Paralympic titles at Tokyo 2020 defending her time trial crown and winning gold in the mixed C1–5 750m team sprint and returned to the top step again at Paris 2024, retaining that team sprint title. In 2024 she also extended her dominance on the global stage, winning the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championship 500m time trial in Rio de Janeiro, and in 2025 despite injury she delivered three silver medals at the World Championships across sprint and time-trial events.

A trained physiotherapist and an engaging broadcaster, Cox is also a candid advocate for disability visibility and better understanding of chronic illness. In 2024, she published Kadeena the Dreamer, a short, accessible story of resilience, support networks and invisible disabilities and she brings that same clarity and energy to every stage.

Whether she’s speaking to global brands, leadership teams or young athletes, Cox delivers a message that is practical, energising and outcome-focused: resilience as a strategy, and inclusion as a competitive advantage.

Resilience under pressure: performing when it matters most

Leading through adversity, change and uncertainty

Inclusive high-performance cultures that unlock results

Mindset, motivation and goal-setting that sticks

Teamwork, trust and marginal gains at world-class level

She has won five Paralympic gold medals across cycling and athletics, earning an MBE (2017) and OBE (2022) for services to sport, and setting a credible benchmark for performance and accountability.
She has delivered medal-winning performances in two sports at a single Paralympics, showing leaders how to switch disciplines, learn fast and execute with clarity.
She brings lived expertise of competing with multiple sclerosis since 2014, translating resilience, energy management and mindset into practical lessons for teams facing uncertainty.
She is the author of Kadeena the Dreamer (2024) and a confident media performer, turning inclusion and invisible disability into messages audiences remember and act on.
Her keynote stories help organisations build inclusive high-performance cultures, strengthening trust, communication and results long after the event.