Grant Kenny
{{Short description|Australian canoeist and surf lifesaver}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Grant Kenny
| image =
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| fullname = Grant Hayden Kenny
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| nationality = Australian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1963|06|14}}
| birth_place = Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
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| country = Australia
| sport = Canoe sprint, Ironman surf lifesaving
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{{MedalSport|Men's canoe sprint}}
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalBronze|1984 Los Angeles|K-2 1000 m}}
}}
Grant Hayden Kenny {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (born 14 June 1963) is an Australian former Ironman, surf lifesaver and canoeist. He won a bronze medal in the K-2 1000m event at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Career
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=January 2025}}
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.[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/887238 It's an Honour] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122750/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/887238 |date=7 February 2018 }} – Medal of the Order of Australia He has also been awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000,[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/981361 It's an Honour] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122811/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/981361 |date=7 February 2018 }} – Australian Sports Medal and the Centenary Medal in 2001,[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1128145 It's an Honour] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122849/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1128145 |date=7 February 2018 }} – Centenary Medal both for his services to the sporting and business world. He was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1996.{{cite web|url=https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/grant-kenny/|title=Grant Kenny|publisher=Sport Australia Hall of Fame|accessdate=25 September 2020}}
Personal life
Kenny was married to the Australian Commonwealth swimming champion Lisa Curry in 1986. They had three children, (Jaimi Lee, Morgan and Jett) , with their eldest child dying on 14 September 2020 at age 33, following a long illness,{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/daughter-of-lisa-curry-and-grant-kenny-dies-aged-33-20200914-p55vm1.html | title=Daughter of Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny dies aged 33 | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=2020-09-14 | accessdate=2020-09-14}} Kenny and his former wife co-own the Curry Kenny Aviation Group, which in 2009 owned approximately 60 aircraft.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In May 2009, it was reported that Kenny and Curry had separated.
On 17 December 2012, it was reported that he and comedian Fifi Box were expecting a child. This was later confirmed, and on 5 April 2013 a daughter was born.{{cite news|title=Lisa Curry-Kenny, Grant Kenny separating after 23 years of marriage |url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,28383,25554360-5013560,00.html |last=McCullough |first=James |date=2009-05-29 |accessdate=2009-05-30 |work=The Courier-Mail |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530121318/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0%2C28383%2C25554360-5013560%2C00.html |archivedate=30 May 2009 }}{{cite news|agency=Australian Associated Press|title=Sporting couple Curry and Kenny split|url=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/sporting-couple-curry-and-kenny-split-20090529-bpgt.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2009-05-29|accessdate=2009-05-30}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070824190806/http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=KENNYGRA01 DatabaseOlympics.com profile]
- {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ke/grant-kenny-1.html |title=Grant Kenny |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008115042/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ke/grant-kenny-1.html |archive-date=2012-10-08 |url-status=dead}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenny, Grant}}
Category:Sportspeople from the Sunshine Coast
Category:Australian male canoeists
Category:Canoeists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Category:Canoeists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic canoeists for Australia
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Australia
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
Category:Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Sportspeople from Maryborough, Queensland
Category:Sportsmen from Queensland
Category:Olympic medalists in canoeing
Category:Australian surf lifesavers