Laila Edwards is heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics with Team USA—and along the way, she picked up support from two of Cleveland Heights’ most famous exports.
The 21-year-old ice hockey standout revealed exclusively to People that Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce quietly donated to her family’s GoFundMe to help them travel to Milan for her Olympic debut.
Edwards, who will make history as the first Black woman to suit up for the U.S. women’s hockey team at the Winter Games, traced the connection back to a hometown moment.
When she first cracked the national team, the Kelce brothers—both raised in Cleveland Heights—gave her a shoutout on their New Heights podcast. At the time, Edwards reached out to say thanks, not expecting much to come of it.
“I thought, ‘I’ll just message them, thanking them—they’ll never see it,’” Edwards said. Instead, she ended up trading DMs with Travis. “We had a full conversation,” she added, calling the Chiefs star “down-to-earth” and supportive.
The recognition didn’t stop there; the brothers later highlighted her again after she earned her Olympic spot.
That encouragement turned tangible when Edwards’ family launched a GoFundMe to cover flights and lodging for Milan. According to Edwards, Travis donated and followed up to ask how else he could help.
“They’ve helped out with my family’s GoFundMe to go over there and support me,” she said. “He’s been in touch a little bit on how else he can help.”
Edwards emphasized that the gesture wasn’t about headlines. “Those are just really good guys,” she said of the Kelces. “Really good people, too, outside of their athletic abilities.”
The possibility of meeting the Kelce crew in Italy isn’t far-fetched. Jason’s wife, Kylie, is slated to create Olympics-related content for NBC and YouTube, which could put the families together during the Games.
As she prepares for Milan, Edwards keeps her focus close to home. She credits her parents—Robert Edwards and Charone Gray-Edwards—for years of sacrifice in a sport known for its steep costs. “Ice is expensive,” she said, noting the price of coaching, equipment, and travel. “They are the reason I’m here.”