Kadeena Cox is an athlete and cyclist and a four-time Paralympic gold medallist. She competed as an able-bodied athlete but was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after a stroke in 2014. She won a gold medal in the 400m at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, as well as in the cycling time trial. She went on to win two more cycling golds at the delayed Tokyo Paralympics held in 2021. She will be competing at the Paris Paralympics, which starts on Wednesday. Cox, 33, won Celebrity Masterchef in 2021 and also took part in I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! She was awarded the OBE in 2022. Originally from Leeds, she now lives near Knutsford in Cheshire.

About £3. I don’t really use cash any more, I’m more of a contactless kind of girl.

What credit cards do you use?

I prefer to use my debit card most of the time but I use my credit card when I’m making slightly bigger purchases. I’ve just used it to buy a pair of spikes, which cost about £250. But I always pay off the bill straight away.

Are you a saver or a spender?

I try to be a saver, but I’m probably more of a spender if I’m honest. I spend a lot of money buying kitchen appliances. My latest buy? A top-of-the-range Nama J2 juicer which set me back about £500. It mashes up the fruit better than some cheaper models, so you get to enjoy more of the goodness. Now I’m looking for a coffee machine, but it’s got to be the right one.

Do you own a property?

I bought a three-bedroom, end-of-terrace house for about £360,000 in a village near Knutsford in Cheshire last year. I love it there, but I’m going to knock through one of the walls to extend the bathroom. I see myself living there for the next five years or so, depending on when I start a family. I’ll probably need to move somewhere bigger at that point.

Are you better off than your parents?

Probably. I grew up in Leeds. My mother, Jasmin, is Jamaican and my stepdad, Asmond, is from Barbados. I was one of seven — I’ve got five sisters and a brother, aged 16 to 36, and I’m the third oldest. Growing up, there were quite a few mouths to feed, but we owned our own home and my parents always found the money to buy us things like new trainers. At one stage, my family owned a restaurant in Leeds called Paradise, serving Jamaican cuisine, but my mother now manages a cleaning team and my stepfather is working as a forklift truck driver.

How much did you earn last year?

Enough to maintain my bouji chocolate-brown sausage dog, Max, in the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed. He must cost me a couple of thousand pounds a year, when you factor in the fresh food, collars and toys I buy him. I’ve got him his own little pool to keep him over the summer.

What was your first job?

Technically, my first job was working as a waitress at my parents’ restaurant in my teens. My parents, who are in their fifties, were quite tough bosses, but I was pretty good at my job and got a lot of tips. By my late teens I was beginning to focus on my athletic career, though it was only after getting my first title at the 2015 athletics World Championships that I began to get any sponsorship money, which ramped up after my gold medal win at the Rio Paralympics.

When did you first feel wealthy?

After qualifying for funding from UK Sport in about 2015. The funding is worth about £28,000 a year tax-free, enabling me to focus on training rather than worrying about paying the bills. I also pick up sponsorship money which really helps.

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Have you ever worried about how you were going to make ends meet?

Probably when I was studying at uni and was a bit strapped for cash. I’d sometimes have to ask my aunt or grandma for a bit of money to cover the cost of food or going out.

What has been your most lucrative work?

A lot of the TV shows I’ve done have paid quite well, but the single most lucrative thing was appearing in a Tesco social media advert promoting their Christmas meals. I was paid about £20,000 for a couple of hours’ work.

Do you invest in shares?

Not right now, but maybe in the future.

What’s best for retirement — property or pension?

I think both are important and that’s why I’ve started paying into a private pension.

What has been your best business decision?

Doing the TV shows has given me greater exposure, which has in turn made it easier to get sponsorship. Appearing on television probably also helps explain why I’ve got a sizeable social media following on platforms like Instagram, where I’ve got just shy of 150,000 followers, and TikTok, where I’ve got over 300,000 followers. Being on Celebrity Masterchef was one of the toughest things I’ve done because it was so intense and filmed back to back — you really have to be able to cook. My mum and I would love to write a cookbook together some day.

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And your best investment?

Probably the KitchenAid stand mixer I bought for about £250. Baking gives me a lot of pleasure and allows me to take my mind off things when I’m training. Having it also helped me learn different skills and techniques for Masterchef. I love making chocolate birthday cakes for family and friends.

What about your worst investment?

I’ve got so many dresses that I’ve bought for special events and only worn for one night. But my worst investment was probably a pair of £800 three-inch Valentino heels that I’ve only worn a couple of times because I can’t really walk in them and keep my balance, because of my MS.

What’s your money weakness?

Trainers. I’ve got five or six pairs that I wear in rotation but loads more — over 20 pairs — that I just don’t wear. I particularly like Nike Air Force 1 trainers, which cost anywhere between £100 and £200. I’ve got a white pair, a black and white pair, and a khaki green pair. I’m a bit of a Nike girl!

What’s your most extravagant purchase?

I took my mum and my brother and sister for a two-week holiday in Jamaica last year and that was quite a spendy trip. We stayed in the Moon Palace and it cost about £20,000 in all, but thinking about it brings back lovely memories.

What’s your financial priority in the years ahead?

Saving some money so I can upsize to somewhere bigger in a few years’ time.

What would you do if you won the lottery jackpot?

I’d get myself a bigger house and buy my mum somewhere nice. I’d probably get myself a place in Jamaica too. I’d also donate to a couple of charities close to my heart, the MS Society and St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds, which looked after my aunt in her final days.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt about money?

It can come and go very easily, so make sure you’ve got some set aside for a rainy day.

Kadeena is working with Experian to highlight Support Hub, which lets people share their support and accessibility needs with banks and other businesses in one simple process. supporthub.experian.co.uk