Men's Gymnastics Alumni Update: Brad Kenna ('02)
2/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Date of Birth: 9/20/79
Hometown: Barberton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS
Education: B.A. in Sports Management & Communications in 2002
Currently: Living in Ann Arbor, training for this summer's U.S. National Championships and coaching gymnastics at Michigan Academy of Gymnastics in Westland, Mich.Michigan Milestones
Michigan event record holder on the floor exercise since 2001 (9.35)
Two-time NCAA All-American (1999, 2001)
Member of Michigan's 1999 NCAA championship team
Member of Michigan's 1999 and 2000 Big Ten championship teams
U.S Championship competitor (1998, 1999, 2000)
Quick Q & A:
Q: You graduated from Michigan in 2002. What have you been doing since then "Well, I took a year off from gymnastics because my doctor told me not to do it anymore, but I just couldn't take not being in the gym. I moved to Grand Rapids, Mich., for a year with my girlfriend at the time. I was planning on making a comeback in September of 2003, but when we broke up I moved up my plans and started training in May of 2003. Since then I've been working out and coaching children at Michigan Academy of Gymnastics in Westland, Mich. I also have a second job working at Cliff Keen Arena, so my days are pretty hectic right now with two jobs and training to make the U.S. national team."
Q: You have had more than your share of injuries. How many surgeries have you had and how have they affected your gymnastics "I have had five surgeries altogether, one on my hand and four on my shoulders. The first one was on my hand in 1996 and the most recent was on my right shoulder in November of 2003. I feel that because of these injuries I have not been able to reach my full potential as a gymnast. This last one was the worst. I wasn't sure if I was going to have time to come back from it. I was just recently cleared to start easing my way back into working out and that only gives me two and a half months to get ready for the U.S. Qualifier. I figure it's all or nothing now."
Q: What has motivated you to come back from such setbacks to compete at such a high level "It has always been my dream to make the National Team and to compete for the USA at an international competition. I've never made it and I know that I have a chance to. I just need to prove it to everyone else."
Q: You're training for this summer's U.S. National Championships. What are your goals and how much longer do you envision yourself competing "My goals for this year are to stay healthy from hereon out. That's my main goal. My ultimate ambition would of course be to make the Olympic team. I will be taking it one competition at a time though. I just want to hit all of the routines that I compete from hereon out because that's the only thing under my control. If I make the National Team I would consider sticking around for another year, but if I don't then this will be my last year of competitive gymnastics."
Q: What is your most memorable Michigan moment from your gymnastics career "I really have two. The first would be winning the national championship in 1999. The second would be after we won the Big Ten title that same year, everyone was sitting in the vans after the competition waiting to leave the arena, and all of a sudden on the radio the song 'We Are The Champions' started playing and we all hung out the windows and started singing it."
Q: What would you like to be doing in 5-10 years from now "In 5-10 years I would like to have gone back to school to get my master's in sport management. I would also like to be doing marketing for an NFL team, preferably somewhere warm. Hopefully, I will have met my beautiful, rich wife by then too."
Head Coach Kurt Golder on Kenna
"Brad Kenna was a member of our 1999 'Fab Four' freshman class that went on to win the NCAA team championship that season. He was also an All American as a freshmen. Brad was a key component to our NCAA team championship, an NCAA runner-up and two fourth-place finishes. He was also very involved in USA Gymnastics competition during his years of eligibility, and very narrowly missed the 2000 Olympic Trials."
Contact: Justin Toman, Matt Godfrey (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
