“I am in a small minority as a black female with a disability”, she said.
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She was third in the road race on her hand bike at London 2012, six weeks after being hit by a vehicle in training.
“A lot of people thought I wouldn’t be able to and there were moments when I doubted myself”.
Two years before becoming a Paralympics history-maker Kadeena Cox sat up in her hospital bed and turned to her parents, writes Alex Spink in Rio. I’m just in shock, I’m Paralympic, world and European champion and perhaps I’ll have my first beer in two years now.
Elsewhere in the Games Hannah Cockroft won gold in the T34 100m with 15-year-old teammate Kare Adenegan taking silver and Andy Lewis won gold in the PT2 Para-triathlon.
“I’m just going to enjoy Rio, not thinking about uni yet, but I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life”.
“I have relapsing remitting MS and I don’t know how much more time as an athlete I have”, said Cox, who finds running easier than walking.
“That’s the reason I wanted to do this so badly; so that I could stand here and show it can be done, even if you have setbacks”.
The successes took ParalympicsGB’s tally to 39, with more anticipated on the final day of track cycling action in the velodrome. Cox is in the 400m and 4x100m relay in the athletics and the road race in the cycling.
So, too, is wheelchair racer Cockroft, who claimed her third Paralympic title and first of the Rio Games in a Paralympic record time of 17.42 seconds.
“It’s incredible to do it on the same day, three golds and a bronze, it’s a real honour to be part of the best ParalympicsGB team I’ve been a part of”.
“I know those were a home Games but to be on the top step, you can’t beat that feeling and that’s the first time I have done it at a Paralympic Games”.
Rachel Morris, who made the transition from cycling to rowing after London 2012, was Britain’s first medal victor of day four.
Butterworth, a former RAF weapons technician who lost his left arm in 2007 following a rocket attack in Basra, Iraq, had previously claimed three silver medals at London 2012.
“I was two-and-a-half-years waiting for someone like Lauren to turn up and thinking it would be worth it in the end”, Whiteley said.
“When I came across that finish line, I held the tape in the air and wondered whether it was all real”.
“I can’t believe it, I’m so happy”, said Cox.
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Swimmer Alice Tai claimed Britain’s eighth medal of the day, with bronze in the S10 100m backstroke.
