Laila Edwards' Olympic Dream Realized Through Community Support
As U.S. hockey defender Laila Edwards prepares to step onto the Olympic ice for Thursday's gold medal game against Canada, her eyes will immediately search the stands for a very special supporter: her 91-year-old grandmother, Ernestine Gray. This heartfelt tradition, witnessed during Team USA's semifinal victory on Monday, became possible only through a remarkable community fundraising effort. The campaign received an extraordinary boost from NFL brothers and hometown allies Travis and Jason Kelce, whose generous contribution stood out among numerous donations.
A Family United Across Continents
"When she enters the arena, she's always looking around," grandmother Ernestine Gray shared with The Associated Press. "I make sure not to distract her, but when she spots me and I wave, she always waves back." This simple exchange carries profound meaning for Edwards, who has made history as the first Black female hockey player to represent the United States at the Olympic Games.
The successful GoFundMe initiative enabled ten family members and four close friends to travel from the United States to Italy for Edwards' Olympic debut, while additional supporters covered their own expenses. Following her recent game, Edwards expressed deep gratitude, telling the AP that having her family in Milan "means everything to me." She emphasized, "They helped me get here and make this team and achieve my dream, so it means a lot."
Overcoming Financial Hurdles
The journey to bring Edwards' entire support network to Italy faced significant obstacles. When Edwards informed her parents a month before the Olympics that she had been selected for the team, the family confronted difficult questions about affordability. While they could manage costs for two people, financing travel for the complete family roster—all of whom had supported Edwards throughout her career—seemed impossible. Additionally, they had avoided booking early flights or securing budget-friendly hotel accommodations, fearing they might jinx her selection.
"We had to start talking about how to get money," explained Edwards' mother, Charone Gray-Edwards. "Who would go? How would we afford it?" The family had grown accustomed to watching Edwards from afar since she left home at age thirteen to attend the Bishop Kearney Selects Academy in Rochester, New York. She later advanced to the University of Wisconsin, where she is currently playing her senior season for the top-ranked Badgers.
Edwards' father, Robert Edwards, took decisive action by launching the GoFundMe campaign titled "Send Laila's Family to the Olympics to Cheer Her On!" He set an ambitious goal of $50,000 to ensure the family wouldn't have to choose between attending her games and covering household expenses back in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. "There's a lot of ups and downs in playing hockey at this high level," her father noted. "So she's going to need somebody there. So I was like, 'Well, pride be damned: we're going to do a fundraiser.'"
Hometown Heroes Step Up
The Kelce brothers, who grew up in the same Ohio community as Edwards, have been vocal supporters since 2023 when she became the first Black player to make the U.S. senior women's national team. They enthusiastically promoted her achievements on their popular "New Heights" podcast. The GoFundMe campaign received its largest individual donation—$10,000—from an anonymous source that Edwards confirmed came from the Kelces. By early Thursday, the fundraiser had surpassed $61,000.
Beyond financial support, Travis Kelce offered valuable advice to Edwards, whom teammates have nicknamed the "Queen of Cleveland" following a U.S.-Canada game played there in November. Meanwhile, Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie, attended Monday's game to cheer on Team USA during their 5-0 victory over Sweden. Edwards, who transitioned from forward to defender, contributed an assist during the match.
Inspiring Broader Change
The generosity from the Kelces and local community members exemplifies the tight-knit nature of their hometown, even though Edwards moved away at a young age. Edwards, widely regarded as the future face of women's hockey, has also become an inspiration for Black communities in Ohio and beyond. While diversity has increased in many sports like soccer, winter sports—particularly hockey—remain predominantly white, with very few Black athletes competing in the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
"Just to hear all the people of color talking about, 'I've never watched hockey before and I'm tuning in,'" Gray-Edwards remarked. "I would love to know what the ratings are. Because everybody at home, everybody is talking about it. All these people are trying to buy jerseys." She highlighted particularly meaningful moments when young boys approached her daughter for autographs, noting, "That means they're not like, 'Oh, this is a girl that plays hockey.' They're like, 'This a good hockey player.' So it doesn't matter if she's Black, a woman—she's a good player."
Cherished Memories Beyond the Scoreboard
For Gray-Edwards, the most precious memories from Milan won't necessarily revolve around game outcomes or statistics. Instead, they will center on witnessing the special connection between her 91-year-old mother and her 22-year-old daughter at the rink. "You can just see them waving at each other," she described warmly. "My mother's like jumping and, oh, she just loves it." As Edwards continues her Olympic journey, supported by family and community, her story transcends sports, representing perseverance, unity, and groundbreaking achievement.
