Kenny Bednarek Nigerian heritage has been revealed, with the American sprinter disclosing that he is “75.9% Nigerian” as part of his ongoing journey to reconnect with his biological family.
He made the disclosure in Sprint, a Netflix docu-series filmed during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he won a silver medal in the men’s 200m.
For Bednarek, success on the track has always been about more than just winning medals—it’s a path to uncovering his heritage.
Kenny Bednarek Nigerian heritage and Olympic dream
“Winning the Olympic gold could help me find out more about myself, my heritage, and all my biological brothers and sisters that I’ve had. They’re out there somewhere,” he said. “And you know, maybe after winning this gold medal, [it] could help me find that out, find where they’re at.”
Bednarek spoke about his challenging early years, recalling how he and his twin brother Ian were put up for adoption.
“I was a troubled kid. My birth parents put me and my brother up for adoption at the age of four, so me and him were kind of through foster home to foster home. We didn’t know what was really happening, and then eventually, the mom I have today adopted me and my brother.”
He credits his adoptive mother for playing a pivotal role in his life and career. “My mom is my number one fan. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her,” he said.
Track and field also became a source of comfort and identity for the athlete. “For me, track was a way to, I guess, escape my worries. That’s where I felt most free. So from day one, when I always took on the track and the thing goes off, that’s where I most feel alive.”
Bednarek’s connection to the sport runs deeper, linking him to his African roots. “This is the only thing I have so far of, like, my heritage. So it says I’m West African and 75.9% Nigerian. Then it goes down to, like, the smaller details.”
Beyond his twin, Bednarek remembers having more biological siblings. “I know I have siblings out there. I mean, I got my twin brother Ian, but before we were adopted, I had two brothers and one sister. Like, I remember them. I don’t remember their names, but I remember being with them.”
Despite his Olympic success, including a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Bednarek feels overlooked in the media. He believes greater recognition could help him achieve his personal goal of reconnecting with his family.
“You know, the media hasn’t really paid attention to me as much as everybody else,” he said. “But if I win, I’m not like trying to make it happen, but it would be cool just to find, like, hey, like this is, you know, a brother of mine that’s biological, or, you know, a sister of mine.”
