Becoming. Identity. Self-discovery.
These are the words that come to mind for Olympic athlete Kenny Bednarek when he reflects on his life. A life that was made possible because of foster care adoption.
Born in Oklahoma, Kenny was placed in foster care after experiencing abuse and neglect. After months of moving in and out of foster homes, Kenny felt afraid for where he might end up. Thankfully, Mary met Kenny and adopted him at age 4.
Though Kenny had the stability of a permanent, loving family, as a child, he struggled with the impact of being in foster care. He had difficulty processing his emotions and trusting those around him. As a response to the experiences he had been through, he’d sometimes act out in anger or frustration.
“When I was in high school, I loved sports, but I also had a lot of feelings of insecurity and a lack of belonging,” recalled Kenny. “I always said I wanted to be an Olympian, but I think at the time, I wasn’t really thinking about what that required. I was just going through the motions.”
When Kenny discovered track and field, he unlocked a new part of himself. He finally had a way to channel his energy into a positive and productive outlet.
Despite being unable to enter an NCAA Outdoor track and field program for college, Kenny attended Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. He defied the odds and started breaking records while running track there, quickly going pro.
Kenny has earned silver medals at the World Athletics Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Most recently, he qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events.
In all of Kenny’s success to date, he credits his past with driving him forward.
“Every single previous version of me is still a part of me, including the trauma from my childhood. I own my past and my present,” said Kenny. “I am who I am, and I’ve achieved what I’ve achieved by buckling down and doing the really tough work — work on myself, working through emotional trauma and setbacks, and tough, hard work on the track.”
Kenny’s road to self-discovery was born out of a need for belonging. And today, he is continuously becoming his best self with his family by his side … every step of the way.
His message to those touched by foster care and adoption is one of hope.
“I want to inspire others and those who may have similar experiences and promote safety and stability for all children,” said Kenny. “By partnering with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to raise awareness, I look forward to demonstrating that hope in action.”
Thank you, Kenny, for sharing your story.
We welcome our caring supporters to share your story about how adoption has impacted your life and why the Foundation’s work is important to you. Together, we can help more young people waiting for a family right now.
