After path of U.S. sprinter Kenny Bednarek led to Olympic silver, he searches for gold

The path of sprinter Kenny Bednarek has been far from easy or conventional. Plenty of uphill climbs, too.

His experiences, though — foster care, being adopted, going the community college route, constantly overshadowed — has only added power to his alter ego, "Kung Fu Kenny." That version of him emerges when he steps on the track and slips on his signature headband.

That version of him looks at his two Olympic silver medals in two ways — reminders, yes, of the success he's had, but a motivator for the success still yet to achieve.

This season, he's sharpened his burst out of the starting blocks and took his nutrition to another level to turn silver finishes into gold. That starts possibly in September at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and down the road at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I know I have the capability of being a champion," said Bednarek, who races this weekend in Kingston, Jamaica, at the inaugural event of Grand Slam Track, a new professional league. "I've always just been hungry."

Born in Tulsa, Okla., he and his fraternal twin brother, Ian, were adopted out of foster care at four years old by Mary Ann Bednarek, who'd already taken in two girls. The family moved to Rice Lake in northwest Wisconsin when he was 12

"I had a lot of issues when I was a kid," the 26-year-old Kenny Bednarek explained. "My mom took so much time to help me become the person I am today. I mean, without her love, care and support, I don't know where I would be.

"I might not be 'Kung Fu Kenny.' I might be somewhere stranded. She's the big reason why I'm here today."

Track, too. Because on the track, Bednarek could let his mind wander, to the places his feet might one day take him.

"Track was just the gateway that let me