A 10-year-old girl, full of dreams, had her eyes glued to the screen as the U.S. women’s hockey team faced off against Canada for gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. That girl was Laila Edwards and in that moment, she knew she wanted to be there one day. Raised in a middleclass family in Ohio, she also knew how costly it would be, with equipment, coaching. But…

Now, 21-year-old Laila Edwards has made that childhood dream a reality as she became the first Black woman to be named to the US Olympic women’s hockey team. Her journey to Milan was not easy. It came with financial pressure, and it would not have been possible without support. That support came from the Kelce brothers.

After being selected for her first Olympics, Edwards and her family faced the challenge of international travel. Flying from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy can cost thousands of dollars, especially when hotels and extended stays are included. To make sure they could be there to support her in person, her family set up a GoFundMe which covers travel and accommodation for the Games.

As of January 21, the fundraiser had raised $44.8k. And much of that support came from Travis and Jason Kelce. Speaking to People magazine, Laila Edwards shared, “They’ve helped out with my family’s GoFundMe to go over there and support me,” she said. “My family put up a GoFundMe, and [Travis] donated. He’s also been in touch about how else he can help.”

Edwards added, “So I mean, those are just really good guys. They’re really good people too, outside of their athletic abilities.”

This isn’t the first time the Kelce brothers have supported Laila Edwards.

Laila Edwards’ rise to fame boosted by Travis and Jason Kelce’s support

Travis and Jason Kelce, who share the same hometown as Laila, have been public supporters throughout her journey. Back in 2023, when Edwards became the first Black woman to make the U.S. women’s senior national hockey team, the Kelces mentioned her on their podcast New Heights.

Laila went on to thank them on social media even though she was not sure if they would see her message. She recalls, “Travis and I had a full conversation over DM, and that was super cool… he was a really down-to-earth, humble guy who was super supportive and had really good things to say.”

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And now…as she heads to the Olympics, Laila has two big dreams. First, she wants to play her best and help Team USA win gold. So that she can be a role model for young athletes, especially kids from underrepresented communities who rarely see people who look like them in winter sports. “Representation matters. In terms of processing it, I think I’m just trying to use it as something that motivates me to be the best role model and person I can be.”

Her other dream is to meet the Kelce crew in person. This possibility has increased after Jason wife, Kylie Kelce, was selected by NBC and YouTube to produce content during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Edwards adds, “Travis was saying that Jason and Kylie are big fans of mine, and I’m hoping to meet them all in Italy.” From a dream filled child to an Olympian, Laila Edwards is proving that anything is possible.