Kenny Bednarek makes his feelings known about being adopted with a heartfelt note as he shares an adorable image with his mother

Kenny Bednarek had an impressive season in 2024, storming to a silver medal in the 200m at the Paris Olympics. Now, the sprinter is making the most of his offseason, and recently shared a snap of himself and his adoptive mom with fans, penning a heartfelt note about family.

As a child, Bednarek was placed in foster care alongside his twin brother Ian. Later at the age of four, he and his brother were adopted by Mary. Apart from the Olympic silver-medalist and his brother, Mary also adopted two other children.

Bednarek has been vocal about how getting adopted changed his life for the better, and frequently credits his mother as being the reason he is a success on the track. On Monday (December 30), the American shared a snap of him and his mom on Instagram, writing,

“Adoption is proof that family is built on love, not just DNA.”

Bednarek had once revealed that his mother was his inspiration, telling Olympics.com,

"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.”

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Kenny Bednarek partners with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

Bednarek at the 2024 Wanda Diamond League Final (Image Source: Getty)

Kenny Bednarek has been outspoken about the impact of adoption in his life, and has been keen on providing other children with the same opportunity. Earlier this year, prior to the Paris Olympics, the runner teamed up with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to encourage people to support children who needed permanent homes.

Announcing the partnership, Bednarek wrote on Facebook,

“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.”

“That’s why I’m teaming up with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to raise awareness of the urgent need for foster care adoption. The Foundation is a national, nonprofit public charity dedicated to finding safe, permanent homes for the longest-waiting youth in foster care. There are lots of ways to get involved to make the dream of family come true for kids like me.”

Overall, 2024 has been an amazing year for Kenny Bednarek. Outside of his silver medal at the Paris Olympics, the sprinter’s season saw him win the Doha Diamond League, the Prefontaine Classic, and the Brussels Diamond League Finals.