BBC Strictly Come Dancing star opens up about injury that nearly ended her career

Former Strictly Come Dancing sensation Nicola Adams has opened up about a devastating injury that almost knocked out her boxing career for good.

Nicola, 41, who has been a trailblazer in women's boxing and shone on the BBC dance floor, faced a severe setback when she suffered a spine fracture. The Leeds-born icon, known for her fighting spirit, had to overcome significant obstacles, including this potentially career-ending injury.

Having started boxing at just 12 years old, Nicola fought her way through a male-dominated sport to make history twice as an Olympic champion.

She clinched gold at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, becoming the first woman ever to win an Olympic boxing title and the world's first female double Olympic boxing champ, the Mirror reports.

However, her journey nearly came to an abrupt end in 2008 due to a spine fracture, coinciding with the moment women's boxing was included in the Olympics.

In an emotional conversation with OK!, Nicola shared the terrifying moment: "I was getting ready for a competition and rushing around, I came running down the stairs and had left my bandages hanging out of my bag. I tripped over them and went tumbling down the stairs. I actually fractured one of the vertebras in my spine."

She continued, detailing the harrowing aftermath: "The announcement came on TV that women's boxing was going to be an Olympic sport and I couldn't even move. I was bed-bound for three months and had gone from being able to do 500 sit-ups a day to not even being able to lift my shoulders off of the floor."

Nicola confessed that during her recovery, she doubted her return to boxing. "It was a really, really difficult time mentally and physically. There were a few times when I'd be sat on the sidelines receiving physio and I'd see all my teammates training and I'd be thinking, 'Am I even going to be able to get back to the boxer that I was? ' I started setting goals and my first goal was being able to walk 50 metres without being in pain."

From the gruelling challenge of walking just 50 metres to triumphantly claiming the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women's boxing, Nicola has made a remarkable recovery. The champion boxer, once sharing kits with others, now sets her sights on inspiring future generations.

Off the ropes and into family life, Nicola has found love and parenthood with her partner, model Ella Baig. Together for over half a decade, they celebrated the birth of their son Taylor in July 2022, who is eagerly approaching his second birthday.

Nicola shared her joy: "It's really good. I didn't realise how much a child changes when from when they're a newborn. And then all of a sudden they start smiling and then they laugh. And then they say the first word and you're like, 'Oh, my God.' Every day is a new adventure and they learn to do something new. It's just exciting being on that journey, you know? ".

Their happiness was hard-won after four attempts at IVF before welcoming their little one.

Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.