SPIRE is pleased to welcome Kennedi Alford to the track & field program. Kennedi, who has been competing on the national level since 2019, first started running in 2016 while in the fourth grade. She ran track meets for military dependents when her family was stationed in Germany, traveling all over the country to represent her family’s post.

Kennedi and her three siblings are military kids, with their father stationed at Fort Knox in Kentucky and slated for retirement after serving for 22 years. Her mother is currently at Fort Knox as well, an army veteran who is now a government employee. The fourteen-year-old is no stranger to being on the move and dealing with change after living in five different states in the US.

Living in Germany caused a delay in her track & field training, while her stateside competition was able to compete at much younger ages. When Kennedi heard there was a youth track event in the Junior Olympics, she was determined she would compete. When she returned to the States in 2018, she began searching for teams that could help her reach her goal of competing in the Junior Olympics. This search led her to her local AAU Beastmode track team, led by Coach Brandon Butler. 

After just her first season running Beastmode, Kennedi was ranked in the top 50 nationwide and the top two in the state of Kentucky. She had earned her ticket into the Junior Olympics, but an unfortunate injury prior to the event that year sidelined her goal of competing in the event.

Her second year in Beastmode saw the impact of COVID on her team, which disbanded that year. Kennedi was determined to keep training. She would go on to once again place in the top 50 runners nationwide and to earn a second ticket to the Junior Olympics.

Kennedi first heard of SPIRE’s track & field camps from her older brother’s former coach. Her mother immediately looked for openings in the camp, but there was a waitlist at the time. Unfortunately, COVID pushed the camp out of reach for Kennedi again when everything was shut down for the pandemic. When her mother received an email that the camp was opening, she didn’t hesitate to register her daughter immediately.

Kennedi was so committed to coming to SPIRE’s track & field camp that she missed her first high school homecoming, choosing instead to travel six hours and participate in the three-day camp. Once Kennedi walked on campus, she was struck by the coaching staff and the overall environment on campus. She explains that she felt as if the coaching staff really understood her running issues, and have already made plans to get her to the next level. She was also very impressed that SPIRE programs provide mentorship from Olympic athletes.

Director of Track & Field and Head Coach Throws, Kibwe Johnson, has nothing but praise and high hopes for Kennedi, explaining, “She is a fantastic talent, especially considering her age. I think she will do great things.”

Kibwe is amazed at the impact Kennedi is making on her SPIRE family, despite being on campus for such a short time. “Kennedi is a wonderful person, and has such a supportive family. I’m already hearing from other people within SPIRE who love and appreciate having her around already, and she just showed up!” 

Kennedi’s specials are the sprints, but also loves running sprint relays. Her goal is to run track at a Division I school like LSU, Louisville or Kentucky and become a National Champion. She feels that the training and opportunities that SPIRE can provide will help her achieve those goals.