Life had better plans for a young Kenny Bednarek when his mother, Mary, adopted him and his brother Ian from foster care. The foster system can often get brutal on kids who unfortunately land up in it, and working through those hurdles was a challenge that Mary was forced to overcome. She gave Bednarek a chance to change his fate, and the athlete believes it is now his time to pay it forward.
July 7th marked the day Bednarek got a renewed chance at life when his mother adopted him, and he made sure to celebrate the day with joy. In a recent social media post, he announced how this year’s celebration was going to be slightly different and closer to his heart.
Being closely involved in foster care for so long, Bednarek knew how support from the masses was crucial for kids. That’s why he partnered with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to raise awareness of the urgent requirement for foster care and adoption.
“Today (July 7), I celebrate my adoption day.
Because I was adopted, I grew up with the support of a forever family which helped me to run after my dreams.”
Bednarek briefly introduced the organization as a national, nonprofit charity that aims to find safe forever homes for children stuck in the system. Being someone who bore the brunt of it, he considers himself fortunate to not only have a permanent home but also siblings from the same background.
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Together, Bednarek and his mother made the dream team to ensure he developed a champion mindset. In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, he expressed gratitude towards his mother, who was his number one cheerleader throughout his career.
“And she’s inspired me to keep living my dream because I wouldn’t be here without her.”
This year has been exceptionally rewarding for Bednarek, who prepared to put his best foot forward on the track to secure his ticket to Paris. Along with fellow sprinting icon Noah Lyles, he stunned at the 100m and 200m race at the Olympic finals.
Bednarek expressed his gratitude to his fans after clinching the Paris Olympics seat
Bednarek made it as one of the top contenders on track this season and drew roaring applause at the Olympics trials finals when he crossed the finish line. Standing second in both the 100m and 200m categories, no one could stop his journey to Paris this time.
Throughout his journey, he had his fans to thank for the constant morale boost after every run. With encouraging comments, messages, and energetic cheers in the arena, he knew he’d get a big boost to ace through the competition for his country.
