Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, a big name in the NFL, and his brother Jason Kelce have made a kind gesture by donating to support rising USA hockey star Laila Edwards ahead of her Olympic debut. She will don her nation’s jersey in the 2026 Winter Olympics scheduled to take place in Italy this February.
The brothers contributed to Edwards’ family GoFundMe, helping them travel to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The gesture connects three athletes who share roots in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Front Office Sports shared the news on X, noting the support from the Kelce brothers.
“Travis and Jason Kelce have donated to Laila Edwards’s family’s GoFundMe so they can travel to see her play at the Winter Olympics in Italy. Edwards, who is from the same Cleveland suburb as the Kelces, is the first Black woman ever to make the U.S. Olympic hockey team.” They wrote.
Edwards, 21, is set to make history at the Milano Cortina Games next month. She was named to the 23-player U.S. roster alongside veterans like Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield. Her family launched the fundraiser to cover travel costs, and it has now raised more than $52,000, which is two thousand above their goal of $50k.
“My family put up a GoFundMe, and (Travis Kelce) donated…,” Edwards said, when speaking about the Kelce brothers with People. “He’s been in touch a little bit on how else he can help… They’re really good people, too, outside of their athletic abilities.”
On the ice, Edwards continues to shine. She plays for the University of Wisconsin, the top-ranked team in NCAA Division I women’s hockey. This season, the Cleveland Heights native has 33 points in 19 games as a defenseman.
Now, with support from two of her hometown’s most famous athletes, she prepares to represent Team USA while making history for the sport.
NHL Columnist Called Edwards’ Olympics Selection ‘Historic’
NHL columnist William Douglas spoke about Edwards’s selection in his ‘Color of Hockey’ column and called it a “historic Olympic debut”. Douglas framed her selection as part of a wider shift in the sport’s makeup.
Douglas covers the growing presence of players of color across hockey. And if we see Edwards’ rise, it shows us that hockey is becoming more inclusive at the elite level.
Edwards’ Olympic debut will come against Czechia on Feb. 5. Team USA will later face Finland, Switzerland, and then Canada on Feb. 10 to conclude the preliminary round games.
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