I’m a Celebrity’s Kadeena Cox’s coaching chain awarded top accolade

Further award winners on the night include the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Richard Brickley, and Mussabini Medallists – coaches who supported their athletes to gold medals at this year’s Tokyo Games.

Cox’s coaching chain has been recognised for their tremendous impact on her journey to success. The award signifies and celebrates the importance of progressive person-centred coaching and the continuous dedicated support and time invested in athletes throughout their careers.

The coaches behind the growth and development of multi-medallist Cox, who is currently starring in ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ are Tom Hodgkinson (pictured top), Joe McDonnell, Jon Norfolk MBE, Brian Scobie, Sue Bowles, John Westerman and Nathan Wells.

Leeds-born Cox’s journey into athletics started when her school hockey coach, Sue Bowles, suggested she try sprinting after noticing her greatest asset was her speed. After success on the track with athletics coaches John Westerman, Brian Scobie and strength and conditioning coach Nathan Wells, Cox was diagnosed with the lifelong condition of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Just two years after her diagnosis, Paralympic Head Coach for GB Cycling Jon Norfolk supported Cox to achieve an incredible feat when she became the first British Paralympian in 32 years to win gold medals in different sports at a single Games at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. With the help of sprints coach Joe McDonnell and British Cycling’s Paralympic Programme coach Tom Hodgkinson, Cox followed up this success at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, retaining her C4-5 time trial gold medal and adding further gold in the mixed team sprint C1–5.

Discussing Cox’s achievements, her school hockey coach, Sue Bowles said:

Tom Hodgkinson, her cycling coach, added:

“Medals define the champion to the public. However, the great champions are defined by not only what they win but how they take people with them, which Kadeena does more often than anyone else I work with.

“Kadeena has the highest performance behaviours and expectations of her team and her performance. This level is met with her own personal behaviours, which make you want to do more for Kadeena.

The Coaching Chain category has become one of the highlights of the UK Coaching Awards. Recent winners have included the coaches behind Three Lions superstar Marcus Rashford, Cricket World Cup winner Ben Stokes, Olympic sailing gold medallist Hannah Mills, Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, Scotland rugby union full-back Stuart Hogg and Olympic hockey gold medallist Kate Richardson-Walsh.

The UK Coaching Awards showcases the diverse work of coaches, projects and organisations, making a huge difference to the health and happiness of the nation – especially against the backdrop of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Along with Cox’s coaching chain, those receiving accolades on the night will include the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Richard Brickley.

Richard is to be recognised for his outstanding service to participants with disabilities, having worked for over 40 years to give disabled people the best possible experience in sport and physical activity. His dedication to creating a culture of inclusion within sport led him to become the inaugural chair of the UK Coaching Learning and Leadership Group, which was formed in 2007, acting as an advisory group to help embed inclusive practices throughout coaching across the UK.

Reflecting on his award, Richard said: