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Laila Edwards with her parents Charone Gray-Edwards (left) and Robert Edwards (right) on November 5, 2025
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
NEED TO KNOW
- Laila Edwards is the first Black woman to play for Team USA's Olympic hockey team
- She has been skating since she was a child, encouraged by her dad, who also played ice hockey
- Laila's family launched a GoFundMe so they could travel to Italy to see her compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Laila Edwards is making history at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but her journey on the ice started when she was a child, thanks to her supportive parents, Robert Edwards and Charone Gray-Edwards.
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Edwards became the first Black woman to play on Team USA's Olympic hockey team. Her lifelong dream led to the special moment, ever since she first laced on skates at 3 years old, a passion encouraged by her dad and mom.
"Whether that was time, money ... they are the reason I'm here," she told PEOPLE. "It sounds cliche, but it's very true. The tournaments I went to get exposure to get better, those cost a lot of money. We would probably be very well off if I didn't play hockey."
"Ice is expensive. Then you got to pay for a coach, the equipment," Laila continued. "I can't even put into words how much money they've put into this and left work early to take me to a game, take me to practice."
Here's everything to know about Laila Edwards' parents, Robert Edwards and Charone Gray-Edwards.
Robert was a hockey player
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Laila Edwards on November 6, 2024 in San Jose, California
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The passion for hockey runs in the Edwards family. Robert played the sport growing up and became more immersed in it after watching the local Cleveland Heights High School team win major titles, including the state championship.
"I was like real young and I went up to the rink and I saw the high school play and I thought, 'These guys are awesome,' " Robert recalled to ESPN in February 2026. "It was the whole everything surrounding the team and everyone there. Then I saw some after-school special about hockey and then I just got this bug."
He hit the ice when he was 12, but realized that the sport "takes a little more parental involvement," as he told ESPN.
"When my kids started, the two things I took from my own experience that helped me was No. 1, if they are going to play hockey, they are going to learn to skate first," Robert explained to the outlet. "And No. 2 was that I was always going to advocate for them."
They raised a family of athletes in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Laila Edwards with her family
Laila edwards/instagram
According to the NBC Olympics website, Laila's brothers Bobby and Colson, and sister Chayla have all spent time in the rink playing ice hockey as well. (Laila also has a sister named Britney.)
The siblings often practiced together. Growing up, when they faced off in indoor hockey at home, they made Laila the goalie, per ESPN.
Robert encouraged Laila to pursue hockey
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Laila Edwards at the 2026 Winter Olympics on February 10, 2026 in Milan, Italy
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Robert encouraged Laila to pursue hockey, starting her off in figure skating at age 3, before switching to hockey when she was 5.
"He got us on skates as soon as we could walk," Laila told PEOPLE in January 2026. "It was a part of my dad's plan all along. I had no idea, but he knew. He was like, 'You're not going into figure skating. It's just to help with hockey,' "
"At the same time, I was doing public skate with hockey skates, so I was on the ice all day every day just because I loved it," she recalled.
Robert and Charone have been supportive of Laila’s hockey career
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Laila Edwards taking a selfie with her mom Charone Gray-Edwards
Laila edwards/instagram
Laila's parents have been supportive of her hockey career, even if it meant she would be away for years while pursuing her dreams.
When she was in eighth grade, Laila left Ohio to attend Bishop Kearney, a private school located in Rochester, N.Y. According to the Team USA website, Laila enrolled so she could play for the school's hockey program.
"We sacrificed so much. I don't know if a lot of people are willing to give up so much of their lives," Charone told WKYC in January 2026. "This started at Cleveland Heights Rec Center, so this was just a neighborhood fun thing."
"We had no idea it was going to take us around the world, across the country, even scholarships for college. No idea," she added.
Laila’s family launched a GoFundMe to travel to the 2026 Winter Olympics
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Laila Edwards' family at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on February 16, 2026
AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Laila competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics was a monumental moment for the athlete, and her family, who wanted to see her play at the games.
A GoFundMe was launched so that more than a dozen members of Laila's family could travel to Milan to see her compete, according to the Associated Press. Thanks to a wave of donations, Laila's family surpassed the $50,000 goal, in part due to a generous gift from other Cleveland Heights hometown heroes: Travis and Jason Kelce.
"My family put up a GoFundMe, and [Travis] donated ... he's been in touch a little bit on how else he can help," Laila told PEOPLE. "So I mean, those are just really good guys,"
"They're really good people, too, outside of their athletic abilities," she added.
When the funds were raised for the family to travel to Italy, Charone said, per the AP, "Oh my goodness. I was going to find words to describe the gratitude and appreciation. But I haven’t yet."
"We’re humbled by it," Robert added.
Read the original article on People
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