Who is Kenny Bednarek's mother? All we know about Mary Bednarek who raised one of America's fastest 200m runners

By Agnijeeta Majumder

Modified Aug 08, 2024 04:23 GMT

Kenny Bednarek, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 200m silver medalist, and his twin brother Ian Bednarek were adopted by Mary Bednarek out of foster care. Kenny Bednarek is currently on the Paris Olympics run in pursuit of the 200m gold. He finished on top of his respective Heat and semi-final, entering the finals as one of the top seeds.

Kenny Bednarek was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and later shifted to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, after being adopted by Mary Bednarek. Since very young, Bednarek has been associated with track and football as a student at Rice Lake High School. His mother, Mary Bednarek, has watered his dreams and helped him in the journey, from battling ADHD issues to making waves on the track.

In an interview, Bednarek talked about how his mother had raised him and his brother single-handedly and the special bond he shares with her.

"We worked through everything. The heart that my mum had, the perseverance to go through adopting four kids by herself and sticking it through... she's inspired me to be a better person every single day. And she's inspired me to keep living my dream because I wouldn't be here without her," said Bednarek to Olympics.com.

At the 2023 Prefontaine Classic, Mary Bednarek was one supporter who cheered him on from the spectators' box. Recalling the adorable sight, Bednarek said:

"She was like, 'Go, Kenny! And in my head, I'm like, 'Mom, shhh!'" Kenny laughed. (via Olympics.com)

In a conversation from 2021, Mary Bednarek shared that she was initially surprised to hear about Kenny's athletic abilities from his coach.

"Big shout out to Coach Sasada because he was like, he’s really special and I was like, I know he’s my kid and he’s like, no no no you don’t understand and at that time as a freshman, I didn’t understand; I just thought he was Kenny and he runs," she said. (via WEAU)

Mary Bednarek is a Catholic by value and some of her hobbies include cooking, reading, swimming, and traveling. (via her X handle)

Kenny Bednarek dedicated his 2024 Doha Diamond League win to his mother on her birthday

The 25-year-old ran successful races in the 2024 Olympic year, among which, the Doha Diamond League was the most significant. One of the fastest 200m runners, Kenny Bednarek clocked a world-leading time of 19.67s to win the 200m race at the Diamond League installment.

Taking to his Instagram story, he posted a collage of his mother and his photos and paired it with his Diamond League winning moment. He captioned saying that he dedicated the win to his mother, Mary Bednarek, on her birthday.

"I dedicate this WIN to my mother @mabed3 for her birthday today."

Bednarek will next race in the 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, slated to face the third-fastest in the world, Noah Lyles.