Abandoned by Biological Parents, Kenny Bednarek Had a Deeper Motive at Paris Olympics: ”Escape My Worries”

“One thing I would tell young Kenny was, ‘Yeah, you were adopted’,” said Kenny Bednarek months ago while on his Paris Olympics journey. The 26-year-old doesn’t shy away from admitting he was adopted as a child. In fact, whenever he has spoken about his adoption, he often adds a heartfelt note: “I found a mother that loves [me]…and nurtures [me].” Undoubtedly, Kenny’s foster mother, Mary, has been his biggest support throughout, be it in his daily life or his professional career. Yet, he has some unfinished riddles to solve. 

Since his days in his foster home, Kenny Bednarek has been finding Mary alongside him through thick and thin. Even in events like the US Olympic track and field trials, she appeared in the box, cheering for the athlete. And this is not new. Bednarek has had several memories of it, watching his foster mother cheering for him from the stands. According to the Olympian, from time to time, Mary goes beyond her best pitching ability to shout for him from the gallery. But she prefers to do that with zero complaints. “My mother loves to scream,” the athlete chuckled. But if you find this all, that wouldn’t be the complete story. 

Kenny Bednarek has long wished to reconnect with the siblings he was separated from during his childhood—a desire that holds a deep connection to his Olympic success. How? In the Sprint docu-series season 2, the two-time Olympic medalist explained in detail. 

In episode 4, Kenny mentioned, “The track was, uh, a way to, I guess, escape my worries. That’s where I felt most free.” But he didn’t miss adding, “Winning the Olympic gold could help me find out more about myself, my heritage, and, you know, my biological brothers and sisters that I’ve had. They’re out there somewhere, and, you know, maybe after winning this gold medal could help me find that out, find where they’re at.” Did he mean to find his root using his capability in the track? If yes, then how could a stage like the Olympic Games help him? A lot of ifs and buts gathered in just seconds. But fret not, the world championship medalist had every answer ready. 

After spending decades in track and field, Kenny Bednarek sees the worn-out stadiums as his training grounds. While he may not have the same speed or fan following as Noah Lyles, Bednarek has carved out his own space, earning medals from the Olympic Games, World Championships, Diamond Leagues, and more. Yet, despite his accomplishments, he believes he has never received the limelight he truly deserves.

Rather, in episode 4, Kenny could remember the ignored part. He even narrated it as, “You know, the media hasn’t really paid attention to me as much as everybody else.” Therefore, he knew that no help was coming for him. He would have to do everything on his own. That raw knowledge made him desperate to achieve victory in the Paris Olympics. A simplification may help. 

In the episode, Kenny put the missing piece by saying, “If I win, I’m not, like, trying to make it happen, but it would be cool just to find, like, hey, like, this is, you know, a brother of mine that’s biological or, you know, a sister of mine.” But was that all? Does Kenny remember anything about his missing siblings? 

Kenny Bednarek rates his heritage alongside his fall for track 

“I’m going to be the top dog when the gun goes off,” Kenny Bednarek was heard, determined on his way to make it to the top. And why shouldn’t he be? In Tokyo, Kenny Bednarek had his moments, but he didn’t stand at the top of the podium. Over the next three years, he competed in nearly every major global contest, yet a top-place finish continued to elude him. Despite this, he knew what he was capable of. He had the belief that he could finish the races before everyone else. And it wasn’t just about winning—there was a deeper connection for him.

In episode 4 of the Sprint series, Kenny Bednarek explained, “When I always step on the track and the gun goes off, that’s where I most feel like. This is the only thing I have so far of, like, my heritage.” And trust him, the heritage part has always been closer to Kenny’s heart. Despite spending decades after that, Bednarek remembers his childhood before being shifted to the foster home. 

Recalling those phases, Kenny laid out, “I was trouble kid. My birth parents put me and my brother out for adoption. I get the age of four. So, me and him were kind of through from foster home to, the foster home. We didn’t know what was really happening.” Then Mary adopted him and his brother Ian, and everything changed for them. But has that fact put a lid on his heritage? No. Kenny introduces himself as West African with 75.9% Nigerian. Just all he is missing is to find his other brother and sister, whom he had to leave in his childhood. Has his Paris Olympics medal helped him yet in that endeavor? We have yet to hear an update on that.