The 2020 Olympics was a first-time experience for many athletes. Some of these first-timers wrote history by winning medals, while others won the heart of their audience by their efforts despite not winning the game. One of these athletes who didn’t succeed to be in the top three but made their name as an Olympian is David Kendziera.
Kendziera is an American track and field athlete specializing in 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles. He won his spot in the US Olympic team after winning third place in the trials in the 400m hurdles. He competed in the preliminaries rounds of the Olympics and even placed third in the semi-final. Unfortunately, only the top two athletes could move to finals, so his journey was cut short.
Quick Biography
| Popular Name | David Kendziera |
| Real Name | David Kendziera |
| Date of birth | September 9, 1994 |
| Age | 29 years old |
| Place of birth | Arlington Heights, Illinois |
| Father | David Kendziera |
| Mother | Maureen Kendziera |
| Siblings | Two |
| Brother | Ryan Kendziera |
| Sister | Brenda Kendziera |
| Status | In a relationship |
| Partner | Chelsey Jones |
| Children | None |
| Occupation | Professional track and field athlete |
| Net worth | Not disclosed |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White Caucasian |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Zodiac | Virgo |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (190 cm) |
| Weight | 84 kgs |
| Measurement | Unknown |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Complexion | Fair |
| Instagram id | bigwavedave110 |
| DavidKendziera |
David Kendziera Net Worth and Income
Kendziera has been running on the track since his high school days and has created a decent career for himself. He even has sponsorship from Nike.
He has not shared the exact figures of his net worth publicly. But it is still safe to assume that he has a decent earning and net worth as an athlete.
Height, Weight, and Physical Measurements
The ten-time All-American athlete has a great height of 6 feet and 3 inches.
Along with height, he also has a fully toned and muscular body that weighs 84 kgs.
David Kendziera Family, Parents, and Early Life
Kendziera was born in Arlington Heights in Illinois but grew up in Mount Prospect, where the family currently resides. His parents are David Maureen, who raised him and his brother, Ryan, and sister, Brenda, in a supportive environment.
Like Kendziera, his siblings are also in sports. His sister joined the track team in high school just like him. Both he and his sister went to the same high school and university. When he was in senior year in high school, his sister was a freshman.
The four-time NCAA champion started his fascination with running after watching the Beijing Olympics held in 2008 while he was still in middle school. He was captivated just by watching the athletes joining the opening ceremony.
It motivated him to start his journey on the track. So, he joined the cross country team in sixth grade. Initially, he ran in middle distances races, then it moved to 1 mile, then to two miles.
Though he loved running in these races during the start, he didn’t think it was best for him. So, he switched to short-distance races, and the rest is history.
Besides running on the track, Kendziera is also into other sports like football, basketball, and hockey. He also is a fitness enthusiast and engages in yoga and meditations.
David Kendziera Girlfriend
Kendziera is in a happy relationship with fellow field and track athlete Chelsey Jones. He has been dating Jones since 2018.
The couple spends a lot of time together and posts each other often on their social media. They are going strong to this day and have a healthy relationship.
High School and Education
The College Big Ten track athlete went to Prospect High school for his high school degree.
Once he graduated from high school, he joined the University of Illinois for a bachelor of Arts degree.
After his graduation in 2019, he again started for his Masters of Arts degree.
Career and Olympics
Kendziera started his career on the tracks since he was a sixth-grader. He initially ran long distances but later hated it.
Despite hating the long-distance run, he still loved running. So, he moved from running in long-distance races to short distances.
In high school, he joined the field and track team and represented the school in many championships. During his high school, he even was the state champion.
He continued his passion for running even after he enrolled in college. Initially, he applied to ten to fifteen colleges, but only the smaller colleges approached him. At last, the choice was between Nebraska, Illinois, and Chicago.
Illions coach Adrian Wheatley talked to him, and he decided to join the University of Illinois. He had a decent collegiate career where he took part in many championships like the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championship, Meeting de Paris, etc.
He even got a chance to compete in the 2016 Olympic trials but came in fourteenth place and couldn’t make it to the team.
Kendziera was already injured at that time and had taken a year off. So, his coach suggested he be in the trial only to gather experience rather than aiming for the team.
With this new experience, Kendziera continued his career. He then took part in many other championships before winning the 400m hurdles in a match in Europe.
His career came to a halt because of the pandemic, but he resumed running in late 2020. During this period, he ran in fourteen races in Europe within six weeks.
In 2020 he also ran in the Stadio Olimpico and made his spot among the top ten athletes of the world.
After ending the year 2020 on a great note, he competed in the US Olympic trials in 400m hurdles and won third place. It made him a part of the US Olympic team, and he flew to Tokyo.
While in Tokyo, he competed in the heat and came in fourth. He then pushed himself more and came in third place during the semi-final. He could not move further to the semi-final, and his journey in the Olympics ended.
