12 November 2019

Para athlete Kadeena Cox speaks about 'disordered eating' following silver medal at World Para Athletics Championships

British paralympic track star Kadeena Cox has said being at the World Para Athletics Championships has triggered her 'disordered eating'.

The 28-year old won silver in the T38 400m on Monday but has admitted that having so many eyes on her in Doha has 'been a challenge'.

Cox first spoke of her struggles with eating in April but said she was in 'a much better place' in October ahead of the championships.

"It's been tricky trying to deal with managing my eating," said Cox following her silver medal.

"Having so many people around me and so many eyes on me, it's pushed me to do more extreme things which is frustrating for me," she added.

Cox has multiple sclerosis and is a Paralympic gold medallist in both athletics and track cycling and  will compete again on Wednesday in the T38 200m.

"A few bad habits have snuck back in that I thought I had got rid of. I'm annoyed with myself, it's hard not to think, 'if I had done this or not done this, would I have won?,'" she added.

Meanwhile, British Athletics Para Athletics head coach Paula Dunn said: "We are proud of her achievements tonight and she has received support from our medical team this evening. 

"Kadeena will continue her great work in overcoming this illness with the support of our medical team and a leading specialist doctor.

"Performance is always secondary to ensuring our athletes are healthy in heart and mind. We will always support Kadeena and our medical teams to make decisions that prioritise her health in the first instance."

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