IRISH 20KM RACE WALKER

SILVER MEDAL – 2021 EUROPEAN ATHLETICS U23 CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Athletics edged, and then subsequently won out, when David tried ‘Race Walking’ for the Community Games in 2011. Competing for his native parish, Firies, he won a Bronze medal in the National Community Games Race Walk event and was hooked.

As a past pupil of St. Brendan’s College Killarney, David trained almost every Wednesday evening with veteran race walker Michael O’Connor. Winning second level titles at both Provincial and National levels he came to the attention of Athletics National Race Walking coach Michael Lane of Mullingar Harriers.

Currently studying in CIT (now known as MTU), David is being coached by Rob Heffernan, a man who needs no introduction to athletic followers. Under Rob’s guidance he has moved to an elite level.

To get to this level is not cheap!! And requires a lot of funding & personal sacrifices.

For the past three years David has virtually been a full time athlete. While limited financial aid is provided by Athletics Ireland he is largely self-funded, relying on financial support from his family. David has had to give up his part time job, at Daly’s Spar Supermarket Killarney, and is immersed in a vigorous training schedule. Racing competitions and training have kept him traveling to the UK, Sweden, Isle of Man, Spain, Estonia, Czech Republic etc. The times and placings in these races won David sufficient qualifying points to represent Team Ireland in the Tokyo Olympics were he place 29th position.

If all that wasn’t enough, David just recently, on the 9th July in Estonia, he won a Silver Medal in the U23 European 20Km Race Walk Championship in Estonia. He is now the only Irish athlete to medal in this competition in the 20Km Race Walk.

David Kenny is an extraordinarily dedicated athlete. Rob Heffernan says, “ he is better than I was at that age”, high praise indeed from Ireland’s Gold medal winner in the 50K Moscow walk 2013.

2022 will be another massive year for David as he has qualified to run in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon USA and the European Athletics Championships in Munich Germany.