Kenasyn Bird
Challenge: Above-knee amputee
Sports: Track and field
Kenasyn Bird was born with 11 different birth defects. Before her first birthday, she had undergone 10 surgeries including a partial amputation of her left leg due to tibial hemimelia, an extremely rare condition occurring in roughly one out of every one million births.
Tiny but mighty, Kenasyn refused to let her amputation hold her back. When she began walking at age two, she took off, giving her four older siblings a run for their money. As part of an active family, Kenasyn consistently searched for a sport to call her own. For her fifth birthday, she was gifted a running blade from the Never Say Never Foundation. A few short months later, Kenasyn completed her first track meet at the Endeavor Games.
Her success at the Endeavor Games was a catalyst for Kenasyn who then began playing soccer and participating in track and field. With an unquenchable thirst to try new things, Kenasyn has taken on swimming, sit skiing, volleyball, surfing and many more sports. Although her athletic portfolio is broad, sprinting on the track remains her favorite pastime, especially if it’s alongside her hero, Paralympic track and field athlete Scout Bassett.
Kenasyn has faced a myriad of trials, but the bubbly, inclusive spirit that radiates from her smile goes to show that nothing will stand in her way. If you think you can outrun her contagious attitude, you better think again.