‘It’s for the next generation:’ How history-making Olympic hockey star Laila Edwards is embracing trailblazer status
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — For Laila Edwards, this year’s Winter Olympics is about far more than sport, and that’s something she’s getting comfortable with.
The 22-year-old may only be at the start of her career, but is already considered a trailblazer, becoming the first Black woman to feature in the US hockey team at a Winter Games.
Edwards made history when she took the ice at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on Thursday, where she helped Team USA beat the Czech Republic 5-1 in its first preliminary round match.
The American was greeted by loud cheers from the traveling US fans when her name was announced as a starter, but the occasion didn’t seem to faze the young athlete, who has taken on so much responsibility of late.
“It means a lot. I take a lot of pride in it,” she told reporters after stepping off the ice in Milan.
“I’m just going to embrace it because representation matters, no matter how uncomfortable it can be. It’s for the next generation.
“I could not do interviews and not talk about it, but then the story doesn’t get out there. Maybe a little girl doesn’t see me, who looks like her. That’s what’s really important.”
Before even traveling to Italy for this year’s Games, Edwards had already made history by becoming the first Black woman to play for the US women’s hockey team and becoming the youngest American to win MVP at the women’s hockey world championships in 2024.
But being the first to break through the status quo hasn’t always sat comfortably with Edwards, who is keen to be credited not only for the color of her skin but also for her athletic ability. And, in truth, what an incredible hockey player she is.
Despite just turning 22, Edwards has such a presence on the rink. Standing over six feet tall, she towers over most of her opponents and has a mentality that allows her to be at peace with pressure.
That much was clear when she provided the first assist for Team USA on Thursday, kicking off what proved to be a smooth victory in her first Olympic appearance.
But despite the attention around her, Edwards looked totally relaxed. She joked around with teammates before and after the win, performing choreographed handshakes and jokingly taking a swipe at the overhead camera when she walked back to the locker room.
She didn’t even seem fazed when a group of reporters huddled around her after the game, jostling to get their recorders close to her mouth to hear her answers.
“She’s incredible. If you put someone like her on the stands, she’s going to shine bright,” her US teammate Abbey Murphy told reporters after Thursday’s game.
“It’s been incredible to see her journey. She’s a great person off the ice, I wish everyone could get the chance to know her a little bit. She brings a lot of laughs. She’s killing it.”
Making of a role model
Before traveling to Milan, Edwards spoke to CNN Sports about how she is developing into one of the world’s most exciting young hockey players.
The Cleveland native was born into a sports-mad family, so she found herself competing with her siblings from a young age.
It’s an upbringing that she credits for her competitive nature, a trait that has seen her break through so many glass ceilings as an athlete.
“I hated to lose, whether that was a little small game of hockey in the house or in the backyard. I just hated it,” she told CNN Sports in January.
“I’ve always hated losing. I hate the feeling of it. And I think part of that comes from knowing how good it feels to win. So when you don’t get that feeling, it sucks.”
Kelce brother connection
Family is still very important to the University of Wisconsin star, and they were out in force to watch her make her Olympic debut. Remarkably, two NFL standouts are somewhat to thank for that.
Travis Kelce and his brother Jason both supported a GoFundMe page set up by Edwards’ family to help send as many of her relatives to Italy.
The initial target of $50,000 has long been surpassed, with the total now sitting at $60,000.
“They’ve shown support and they’re really cool guys,” Edwards said on Thursday, having developed a bond with the brothers due to their Cleveland association.
But while others have helped Edwards get to the position she is in now, thousands more will have been inspired by her mere presence in the sport.
And while that comes with added responsibility and attention, she is happy to shoulder the weight to make it easier for the next child who is following her path.
“If you love hockey, you belong, no matter what you look like,” she told reporters in her signature laid-back manner Thursday.
“Parents with young kids who have reached out, or who I’ve run into, say ‘my daughter plays because of you’ or ‘she is still playing because of you.’ That she ‘feels seen and represented,’ and that’s just really motivating.”
But the star’s focus is now very much on winning a gold medal for Team USA, an opportunity she’s just grateful to have.
“Winning an Olympic medal, it’s crazy to even think about,” she told CNN Sports.
“To win one would mean the world and would mean that I’ve done something right in this long process.”
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CNN’s Dan Moriarty contributed to this report.
