Team USA sprinter Kenny Bednarek is preparing for Thursday’s 200m final, a highly anticipated race scheduled for the Stade de France, the Olympic Stadium with seating for over 80,000.

One of the many sitting in the stands will be Mary Ann Bednarek, Kenny’s mother. Adopted out of foster care at the age of four, the young Bednarek has enjoyed her loving cheers all his life.

Looking back on her decades as a track mother, Mary Ann lights up.

“When you would see him on the track you could see that was where he was happiest,” she remembered. “When he was little, I called him my Secretariat. I remember watching Secretariat win by 32 lengths himself and that was Kenny!”

It remains to be seen how the 2021 Silver Medalist will fare this coming week, but there’s no question who Kenny’s top fan is – and who Kenny credits for his athletic success.

“I had a lot of issues when I was young just because when I was being shipped from one foster home to another foster home, and as a kid you don’t know what’s going on,” Bednarek said. “Our relationship took some time to get some stability in it, but eventually we worked through it.”

Kenny Bednarek, who has a fraternal twin brother, Ian, recognizes the challenges associated with an uneven home and adoption.

“The heart that my mum had, the perseverance to go through adopting four kids by herself and sticking it through,” Bednarek recently told Olympics.com. “She’s inspired me to keep living my dream because I wouldn’t be here without her.”

Growing up in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Bednarek played football in addition to running. He enjoyed the solitude and individualism of his chosen Olympic sport. “That’s the thing I love about track and field,” he reflected. “Everything you put into it, you’re going to get it back.”

Kenny was recently asked if he could give his younger self any advice back in those days of childhood, what might he offer.

“One thing I would tell young Kenny was, ‘Yeah, you were adopted … but found a mother that loves you and nurtures you.’”

Research shows that almost every individual who is adopted has curiosity and questions regarding his or her family of origin. Some have intense interest in the subject, but for others it might be a passing intrigue. To a person, though, they are hungry to enjoy the stability and love that Mary Ann Bednarek provided.

Yet, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

“Me and my mom’s relationship got better by the time I was about a senior,” Bednarek told a reporter with a laugh. “I was like, ‘OK, I need to flip a switch and get ready for the real world.’”

Given that God gifts every person with a distinct temperament and personality, every foster care scenario is unique. Add the extra dynamic surrounding loss and grief, it’s no wonder children take time to find their groove.

With a smile, Mary Ann told her son, “You were so much trouble from Day One, but the moment you started to behave yourself, you had to up and leave and go to college?!”

Nicknamed “Kung Fu Kenny” because of his use of headbands and having a dog named, “Rambo,” there are faster men in Paris – but Bednarek couldn’t be happier about his status.

“I always show up, no matter what, but I don’t really get that much attention – I’m always the underdog and I love being the underdog,” Bednarek said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m getting all the love; I’m going to be there all the time, putting my foot on the gas.”

There are over 200,000 foster parents in the United States, most of whom are putting their foot on the metaphorical gas pedal, lovingly and earnestly pouring into their children. Though they deserve it, none of them will be winning gold medals for the effort – and only a few of their kids will be recognized on a national stage.

Nevertheless, we should be cheering them all on, praying for their hearts, minds, and energy. The race they’re running doesn’t end after the torch is extinguished on Sunday night in Paris, and it’s more a marathon than a sprint – but the light from their respective lives have the potential to shine for years to come.

Image credit: X