The course of sprinter Kenny Bednarek has truly been a lot from easy or commonplace. Plenty of uphill climbs up, additionally.
His experiences, nevertheless– foster therapy, being embraced, going the realm college path, often outweighed– has truly simply included energy to his modify self-importance, “Kung Fu Kenny.” That variation of him arises when he recommendations on the observe and slides on his trademark headband.
That variation of him checks out his 2 Olympic silver medals in 2 means– ideas, sure, of the success he’s had, but an incentive for the success nonetheless but to achieve.
This interval, he’s honed his escape of the start blocks and took his nourishment to 1 extra diploma to rework silver coatings proper into gold. That begins maybe in September on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and in a while on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I know I have the capability of being a champion,” said Bednarek, that races this weekend break in Kingston, Jamaica, on the inaugural event of Grand Slam Track, a brand-new knowledgeable group. “I’ve always just been hungry.”
Born in Tulsa, Okla., he and his fraternal double sibling, Ian, had been embraced out of foster therapy at 4 years of ages by Mary Ann Bednarek, that had truly at the moment absorbed 2 ladies. The family transferred to Rice Lake in northwest Wisconsin when he was 12
“I had a lot of issues when I was a kid,” the 26-year-old Kenny Bednarek mentioned. “My mother took a lot time to assist me turn out to be the individual I’m at the moment. I imply, with out her love, care and help, I don’t know the place I might be.
” I might not be ‘Kung Fu Kenny’ I may very well be someplace stranded. She’s the big cause I’m proper right here at the moment.”
Track, too. Because on the observe, Bednarek might let his thoughts wander, to the locations his toes would possibly at some point take him.
“Track was simply the portal that allow me do not hesitate,” defined Bednarek, who additionally performed soccer. “It was simply me versus the clock.”
From Indian Hills to Olympics
Bednarek didn’t go to a big-time observe powerhouse out of highschool. Instead, he spent a season at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa.
That one season, although, confirmed Bednarek’s huge potential. He received 200 and 400 nationwide titles on the 2019 NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Still, he’s been largely missed in a crowded discipline of high-profile sprinters that features Americans standouts Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley and Erriyon Knighton, together with Andre De Grasse of Canada and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.
Playing second-fiddle used to hassle Bednarek and particularly his alter ego, “Kung Fu Kenny”
” I had a really giant chip on my shoulder,” he stated. “It was bothersome.”
Winning medals solved that. Maybe not all the time the favorite in a race, Bednarek all the time discovered a method to be within the combine.
Like on the Tokyo Games in 2021, when he completed runner-up to De Grasse within the 200. Or a 12 months later at world championships when he took silver behind Lyles. At the Paris Games final summer season, he received one other silver within the 200 behind Tebogo.
Last summer season’s medal stays particular as a result of his mother was watching within the stands. She was so glad for him, crying tears of pleasure, as they embraced after the race.
“Just to be able to radiate brilliant and have my mother witness that, it suggested a great deal,” he said.
1 p.c significantly better
< p design=” margin-left:0 in; margin-right:0 in”>These days, he’s figuring out in Winter Garden, Fla., beneath coach Dennis Mitchell. His coaching group contains Sha’Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman.
“We simply have this iron-sharpens-iron mindset,” stated Bednarek, who’s sponsored by Nike. “We’re all making each various other much better.”
His high job this spring is sharpening his begins out of blocks.
“If I can obtain that down, I seem like no one is mosting likely to have the ability to defeat me,” stated Bednarek, whose high time within the 200 is nineteen.57 seconds. “I’m constantly attempting to include something that makes me 1% much better.”
For his dedication to diet — he’s eradicated gluten — and total well being, he credit Sharmila Nicollet, knowledgeable golfer from India who he’s been courting since 2020.
” I made use of to consider, ‘Oh, I can rest whenever I desire, play computer game whenever I desire, and I’ll be nice,”‘ Bednarek recounted. “She opened my eyes. It resembled, ‘OK, this is just how you come to be an Olympian and a medallist. This is what you have actually reached do.’”
Grand Slam Track launching
< p design=” margin-left:0 in; margin-right:0 in”>Bednarek is among the many runners of all distances – and hurdlers — participating this weekend in Grand Slam Track, which was based by Hall of Famer Michael Johnson.
The new league contains stops in Kingston, Miami (May 2-4), Philadelphia (May 30-June 1) and Los Angeles (June 27-29). In Kingston, Bednarek will face Kerley & Co. within the 100 on Friday and once more within the 200 on Saturday.
“It’s an amazing possibility simply to be able to represent this organization,” Bednarek stated. “It’s everything about rate, characters and informing fantastic tales.”
Like his.
< p design=” margin-left:0 in; margin-right:0 in”>One query he continuously receives: What’s the story behind his alter-ego “Kung Fu Kenny?” Bednarek stated it actually stems from his love of anime. His favorite character is Naruto, a younger ninja who’s looking for recognition.
“He’s a really consistent personality and does not surrender whatever,” Bednarek defined. ” I form of reverberate with that stated. Whatever you want to attain, it would actually not pertain to you– you have to assist it. You must go get hold of it.”
