Meet Jody Cundy, the Paralympic champion going for gold on Strictly 2023

14 Oct 2023

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The popular TV show, Strictly Come Dancing, has returned with a fresh group of famous individuals putting on their dancing footwear and participating in a challenge to win the highly desirable Glitterball Trophy.

One of the stellar contenders this year is Jody Cundy CBE, a victorious sportsperson who has represented the United Kingdom in seven Summer Paralympics. He has gained an impressive record of eight gold, one silver and three bronze medals in swimming and cycling competitions and can also boast of his 23 world titles won in the World Championships.

He achieved his latest victory in August, only a short time before being revealed as a participant in Strictly. This victory was accomplished by establishing a fresh world record during the men's C4 omnium's 200m time trial event in Glasgow.

Because he has experience with sports competitions, Cundy talked about how thrilled he was and how prepared he felt to fully immerse himself in the world of ballroom dancing.

This experience is quite different from what I am used to, but I am excited to face this challenge and step outside my usual boundaries. I am particularly looking forward to this opportunity because I tend to be hesitant when it comes to dancing, and typically only enter the dance floor once most people have already left.

He further mentioned, "I am very excited to start and looking forward to embracing the sparkle and embellishments!"

A man named Cundy, who is 44 years old, was born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire as the oldest of two sons. His parents were named Alan and Ann, his father was a welder and his mother was an accountancy clerk. Cundy was born with a foot that was not formed properly, therefore it was removed when he was only three years old.

Sam Cundy, a famous swimmer today, almost had his career end at an early age when he was five years old. He nearly drowned after jumping into a pool but was rescued by the parent of another child who jumped into the pool with their clothes on. This incident prompted Sam's mother to make sure he was properly trained to swim by having him join a swimming club.

When Cundy was 10 years old, he was introduced to competitive swimming. He quickly became successful and set new records for his age group. The official Paralympics website states that in 1994, Cundy participated in the IPC Swimming World Championships in Malta, where he won a gold medal in the 100m butterfly S10. This was his first international competition.

After two years, Cundy emerged victorious once again and clinched the prestigious gold medal at his inaugural participation in the Paralympic Games held in Atlanta. His resounding success continued as he retained his championship in the next edition of the Games in Sydney 2000 and also secured yet another gold medal in the fiercely competitive 4x100m freestyle relay S10.

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Following his triumph of winning a bronze medal in Athens, Cundy made the decision to switch to a different sport. This change came after he left an impression on the staff during a test held at the velodrome located in Newport. He then made his big international debut at the 2006 Track World Championships located in Aigle, Switzerland. At this competition, he achieved victory in the C4 kilo, setting him on the path to winning an impressive 12 world titles on the track over the course of the next ten years.

Jody Cundy commenced his journey in Paralympics by participating in swimming events.

In 2008, the athlete who excels in sports broke another world record. This happened when he was representing Team GB at the 2008 Summer Paralympics held in Beijing, China. Because of this achievement, he has joined the small group of athletes who have won championships in two different sports, namely swimming and cycling.

In the year 2012, there was some trouble surrounding Cundy when he was not allowed to compete in the C4/5 1km time trial during the Paralympic games in London. This happened because he asked for a new start since he thought the gate did not open correctly.

Cundy became very angry and used many rude words when he found out that he would not be allowed to restart. He threw a bottle and tried to go towards the official who disqualified him, but a member of his team stopped him.

Jody Cundy was eliminated from the final of the Individual C4-5 1km time trial after receiving a disqualification.

"I got ejected out of the gate because the darn thing wouldn't open. And now, unfortunately, I'm unable to participate in the ride. Meanwhile, everyone else is allowed to have a repeat ride," he explained, as the British authorities attempted to soothe him.

Cundy held back his tears and expressed with a strong voice, "Can you imagine the feeling of dedicating four years of hard work for a race that lasts only one minute and three seconds in front of six thousand people, only to be denied the chance to participate? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never have again."

The lady who was dating him worked as a photographer for the press and she was also observed crying near the area where the track begins. Afterward, Cundy came back to say sorry to the audience, receiving a big ovation.

Louis Barbeau, who is responsible for technical matters in International Cycling Union, rejected the claim made by Cundy and his coach, Chris Furmer that the gate malfunctioned leading to the athlete's defeat. He explained that Cundy's front wheel had probably slipped due to excessive pressure.

Cundy achieved a remarkable feat in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, smashing a world record and clinching a gold medal with Louis Rolfe and Jon Allan-Butterworth in the Mixed Team Spring C1-5 event. He continued his impressive form in the 2020 Paralympic Games held in Tokyo, seizing a silver medal in the C4-5 1km time trial event. Later, he bagged another gold medal alongside Kadeena Cox and Jaco van Gass in the C105 mixed 750 team sprint event.

During a conversation with The Independent back in 2012, a person stated that while on a race track, one competes against the time. They explained that every single day, individuals push themselves to the maximum in an attempt to redefine the limits of their body.

Jody Cundy was just given a CBE honor.

A man was given special awards in different years for his contributions to sports involving people with disabilities. In 2009, he received the title Member of the British Empire (MBE) for his efforts in disabled sports. In 2017, he was given the title Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his involvement in both cycling and swimming. In 2020, he received the title Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his service in cycling.

BBC One broadcasts Strictly Come Dancing every Saturday starting from September 16.