Oswego Paralympian honored by Kendall County Board

Oswego Paralympian Joe Berenyi, right, was honored for his achievements by the Kendall County Board on Aug. 2, 2022. Berenyi is shown here with board Chairman Scott Gryder. (Mark Foster -- mfoster@shawmedia.com)

Kendall County residents are being encouraged to take a bicycle ride on Aug. 6 in recognition of Joe Berenyi Day, honoring the Oswego Paralympian.

Berenyi was already an avid and accomplished cyclist when a construction accident cost him his right arm and left kneecap in 1994.

After many surgeries, Berenyi began competitive para-cycling in 2009 and soon gained notice for his skill and determination.

Berenyi is a four-time Paralympic medalist and a world track champion.

He was named Men’s Paralympian of the Year by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in 2015 and also was nominated for an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award by the ESPN sports television network.

Berenyi won gold, silver and bronze medal in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, and a silver medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games.

In 2019, Berenyi competed with Team USA at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, and the 2020-21 games in Tokyo.

The Kendall County Board honored Berenyi at its Aug. 2 meeting with Chairman Scott Gryder declaring Aug. 6 as Joe Berenyi Day and urging residents to take their families for a ride on local bicycle trails.

Board member Ruben Rodriguez lauded Berenyi’s athletic accomplishments as “quite phenomenal,” and praised his fortitude “after something so tough happened to you.”

Berenyi grew up in Aurora, right next door to future Kendall County Clerk Debbie Gillette.

“You were like a big brother to me,” Gillette told Berenyi. “After your accident it was not surprising that you kept going,” she said.

Berenyi said later that competition and the camaraderie with other cyclists is what motivates him to get on his bike and train, riding many miles every week.

Berenyi is a well-known and popular figure in Oswego, where he was honored last year by the Oswego Village Board, which designated the intersection of Grove and Collins roads as the honorary “Joe Berenyi Way.”