The Journey: Laila Edwards is Making History as the First Black Woman on Team USA's Ice Hockey Team

Laila Edwards is making history at the 2026 Winter Olympics as the first Black woman on Team USA's Ice Hockey Team. Now competing in Milan, Edwards' journey to the Olympic stage has been years in the making.

Edwards, born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, has been figure skating since she was 3 years old. At 5, she made the switch to ice hockey. She grew up playing hockey with her two brothers and two sisters and it's safe to say the sibling sessions paid off.

At age 8, she played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Girls Hockey program and she later played in the elite girls' hockey program at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York f0r high school.

From there, Laila chose to continue her hockey career at the University of Wisconsin. Not only has she won two national championships with the Badgers, she has also helped Team USA win two World Championship medals. At just 22 years old, the 6-foot-1 forward has become one of the faces of women's hockey in the United States.

Now, she's in Milan to represent Team USA.

Edwards is grateful to be representing Team USA and is embracing the significance of what it means, especially for young Black girls who see themselves in her.

She also recognizes the responsibility that comes with her presence on such a big stage.

"I have chosen and will continue to choose to embrace it because it is a beautiful thing and it's a great thing," Edwards says. "But just to have that ability to be a role model and hear that people are looking up to me -- this may sound dramatic, but I think there's even kids who have told me they are counting on me. I take that with a lot of pride and gratitude. I've met parents who have told me that their kids started playing because of me or that their kid still plays because of me.

"I've had kids say, 'You're my favorite player. You look like me.' I think that's so important to have someone at a high stage who looks like you, and it's even more important that I can succeed at this high stage."

See more form Laila and her family here.

Getting to Milan wasn't easy, but Laila worked hard for this historic moment. Despite the excitement of making the squad, Edwards faced the unfortunate reality that her family may not be able to watch her Olympic debut. Like many professional women's hockey players, financial limitations made travel and lodging difficult for her family.

Her mom made a GoFundMe in an attempt to raise the funds to join Laila in Milan. New Heights hosts Jason and Travis Kelce made an anonymous $10,000 donation to the cause. Since then, the GoFundMe has raised enough to send her dad and all of her siblings in addition to her mom and sister.

With the additional funds, Edwards' mom plans to launch a nonprofit "to support aspiring hockey players just as the community has supported Laila."

See more on the GoFundMe success here.

As Team USA chases its third Olympic gold medal, Laila Edwards won't just be playing for a podium spot. She'll be skating for history.