The Moment
Picture this: you finally make the Olympic team, you’re the first Black woman ever to suit up for the U.S. women’s senior national hockey squad, and then reality taps you on the shoulder with four ugly words – “Flights are not cheap.”
That’s where Laila Edwards, a standout forward at the University of Wisconsin, found herself after being named to Team USA’s 2026 Winter Olympics roster in Italy. Her family started a GoFundMe to help relatives afford the trip to see her play on the world’s biggest stage.
Enter Travis and Jason Kelce, America’s current favorite brother act. The NFL stars quietly dropped a reported $10,000 into the fundraiser, pushing it well past its goal and basically turning Laila’s Olympic dream into a family reunion.
In a recent airport interview, Edwards said the brothers “didn’t have to do that,” calling Travis’ donation a huge help for getting her loved ones overseas. She added that a lot more of her family can now come to Italy – and yes, she slid into his messages to thank him personally, describing him as “super nice.”
From Cleveland Heights to the Olympic ice 🏒 Laila Edwards is making history as the first Black woman on the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team. She won’t be alone —thanks to Travis and Jason Kelce, her family will be there to cheer her on in Milan after a major GoFundMe donation… pic.twitter.com/yrwDLuTLD7
— PlayersTV (@ThePlayersTV) January 22, 2026
She also said she’s hoping the Kelce crew will be in the stands in Italy: she expects Jason and his wife Kylie to make the trip, and said Travis is “working on it.”
The Take
I love this story because it’s the exact opposite of the usual celebrity circus. No red carpet, no sponsored hashtag, just two very famous men quietly doing what most families wish they could do for their own kid: show up in person.
We talk a lot about how much athletes make. What we don’t talk about enough is how expensive it is to be great at a sport if you’re not already rich. Hockey might as well come with a cover charge – gear, ice time, travel – and the “you made Team USA, congrats, now pay thousands to go watch it” twist is just insult to injury.
The Kelce brothers tossing in $10K isn’t life-changing money for them, but it’s massive for Laila’s family. It’s the difference between a couple of relatives squinting at a TV back home and a whole cheering section in the arena. It’s like someone upgrading you from the back row to the front row of your own life story.
Also, let’s be honest: this is the rare intersection of football fame, women’s hockey, and Olympic history that actually feels earned. Laila isn’t some random person who went viral; she’s a barrier-breaking athlete who’s worked for years to get to this point. The Kelces didn’t manufacture a moment – they attached themselves to one that was already meaningful.
And for all the noise around celebrity giving – the press releases, the naming rights, the “look at me being good” of it all – there’s something refreshingly simple here. A family needed help. Two guys with the means wrote a big check. A young woman gets to look up in the stands in Italy and see her people, not just a bunch of strangers and flags.
If this is the era of the Kelce Cinematic Universe, this is one of the better spin-offs.
Receipts
Confirmed
- Laila Edwards, a University of Wisconsin hockey standout, has been named to Team USA’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, according to a recent on-camera interview she gave at a Los Angeles airport.
- A GoFundMe was launched to help her family travel to Italy to watch her compete, as described in that same interview and in the fundraiser description.
- Travis and Jason Kelce contributed a total of $10,000 to the fundraiser, pushing it beyond its stated goal, according to Edwards’ comments.
- Edwards says she messaged Travis Kelce directly to thank him and called him a “super nice” guy.
- Edwards stated she hopes the Kelce brothers attend her games, and specifically said she believes Jason and his wife Kylie will be there, while Travis is “working on it.”
- Edwards has been described as the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women’s senior national team in multiple profiles and in her recent interview.
Unverified / Reported
- Exact details of who in Laila’s family will now be able to travel to Italy have not been fully laid out publicly.
- Travis Kelce’s final decision about attending the Olympic games has not been officially announced; Edwards only said he is “working on it.”
Backstory (For Casual Readers)
If you’re not already deep in the hockey world, here’s the quick catch-up. Laila Edwards is a rising star forward for the University of Wisconsin, one of the powerhouse programs in women’s college hockey. She made history by becoming the first Black woman to play for the senior U.S. women’s national team, a big deal in a sport that has long struggled with diversity.
On the other side of this story are Travis and Jason Kelce, the NFL’s most famous brothers. Travis, a tight end, has become a household name far beyond football, and Jason, a beloved longtime center from Philadelphia, has a reputation as a down-to-earth, blue-collar fan favorite. Their family – including Jason’s wife Kylie and their mom Donna – has basically become America’s unofficial sports in-laws.
So when a young, barrier-breaking Olympian with a not-rich family needs help getting loved ones to Europe, and the Kelces step in? That’s how you end up with this surprisingly wholesome little crossover event.
What’s Next
For Laila Edwards, the focus now shifts from fundraising to game prep. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy will be her biggest stage yet, and she’ll be carrying both her family’s hopes and the weight of that “first Black woman on the senior team” line every time it gets mentioned on a broadcast.
For the Kelce brothers, this likely won’t even register as more than a line item on a credit card bill – but the impact on Laila’s family is huge. If Jason, Kylie, and possibly Travis do make it to Italy, don’t be surprised if cameras find them in the stands the second she hits the ice.
It will be worth watching whether this moment sparks more support for families of Olympic athletes, especially in sports like hockey where costs pile up long before anyone sees a jersey on TV. The story is already circulating online, and fans are buzzing about both Laila’s history-making role and the Kelces’ low-key generosity.
Either way, one thing is clear: when Laila looks up from the ice in Italy and sees more familiar faces than she ever expected, that’s going to mean more than any viral clip ever could.
Your turn: Do you think star athletes should be more public about donations like this to inspire others, or keep it as quiet and private as possible?
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