Grant Kenny
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Grant Hayden Kenny |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 14 June 1963 |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | canoe sprint, Ironman surf lifesaving |
Medal record
| |
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Grant Hayden Kenny OAM (born 14 June 1963 in Maryborough, Queensland) is an Australian former Ironman, surf lifesaver and canoeist.
Career
Kenny made headlines in 1980 when, as a 16-year-old, he won both the Australian Junior and Open Iron Man Championship on the same day. Kenny then won the Australian Open Ironman Title for the following three years. He also became a household name in Australia due to his sponsorship deals with Kelloggs Nutri-Grain, and appeared in television commercials for the cereal.
After turning his attention to kayaks in the mid-1980s, Kenny later became an important figure in creating the Uncle Toby's Super Series, which was a ground-breaking professional Iron Man circuit that lasted for 12 years. Kenny was also a competitor in the first two seasons, but by 1989 his other interests had taken away the necessary time to train for such a demanding sport and his results were never anything like his domination during his late teens.
In kayaks, Kenny competed in two Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the K-2 1000 m event with Barry Kelly at Los Angeles in 1984.
Honours
Kenny is a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia, which he received in 1986 for his service to sport.[1] He has also been awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000,[2] and the Centenary Medal in 2001,[3] both for his services to the sporting and business world. He was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1996.[4]
Personal life
Kenny was married to the Australian Commonwealth swimming champion Lisa Curry-Kenny in 1986. They have three children, Jaimi, Morgan and Jett. Curry-Kenny and Kenny separated in May 2009. Kenny and his former wife co-own the Curry Kenny Aviation Group, which in 2009 owned approximately 60 aircraft.[5]
On 17 December 2012 it was reported that he was the father of a yet-to-be-born baby with Australian radio announcer and comedian Fifi Box. On 5 April 2013 Fifi Box gave birth to a baby girl.[5][6]
References
- ↑ It's an Honour - Medal of the Order of Australia
- ↑ It's an Honour - Australian Sports Medal
- ↑ It's an Honour - Centenary Medal
- ↑ "Grant Kenny OAM". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- 1 2 McCullough, James (2009-05-29). "Lisa Curry-Kenny, Grant Kenny separating after 23 years of marriage". The Courier-Mail. News Limited. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
- ↑ AAP (2009-05-29). "Sporting couple Curry and Kenny split". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2009-05-30.