Strictly Come Dancing 2023: Wisbech-born eight-time Gold medal winner Jody Cundy joins show

World and Paralympic Champion Jody Cundy has been announced as a contestant taking part in Strictly Come Dancing 2023.

Jody, an eight-time gold medal winner, joins15 ballroom celebrities for the 21st series, starting in September.

Cundy is following in the footsteps of 2012 Peterborough-born winner, Louis Smith and 2018 city Paralympian and semi-finalist, Lauren Steadman.

Strictly Come Dancing will be a new challenge for Jody who is joining the likes of contestants Amanda Abbington and Layton Williams this year.

Who is Jody Cundy?

Jody, OBE, was born with a deformed right foot and had the limb amputated below the knee when he was just three years old.

By the age of ten Jody was racing for King's Lynn swimming club.

In 1994, at the age of sixteen, Jody made his international debut as a swimmer, representing Great Britain at the World Swimming Championships in Valetta.

Jody surprised everyone by taking gold in the 100 metres butterfly. Over a ten year period he was to win 23 international swimming medals, including a win at the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow this week, and a double gold in Sydney in 2000.

In 2005 Jody was tempted onto a bicycle and he was immediately marked out by the Great Britain coaches as a potential prospect.

In 2006 he helped the British team set a new world record in the team sprint and in 2007 Jody took double gold at the world championships in Bordeaux.

In 2009 Jody was awarded an MBE for his services to disability sport, which was later upgraded to an OBE for his services to swimming and cycling.

And, in 2011 he set up the Para-T Cycling Team, consisting entirely of para athletes and the new team is delivering remarkable success on the international paracycling circuit.

The pro athlete's list of accomplishments and accolades doesn't end there, however. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctor in Health Sciences from Anglia Ruskin University and currently holds the world record in the Flying 200m and the 1km Time Trial, as well as 14 consecutive world titles in the MC4 Kilo Time Trial.