Photo: Getty Images North America
Laila Edwards is set to make history for Team USA at the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina.
According to theGrio, Edwards, 21, will become the first Black woman to compete for Team USA’s women’s ice hockey team at the Winter Olympics.
A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Edwards started figure skating at the age of 3 and switched to hockey at 5, often playing on boys’ teams because there were no girls’ programs available in her area. Edwards' hockey career became more competitive in eighth grade, when she moved from Ohio to New York to attend Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, an elite hockey boarding school.
Despite her young age, Edwards has already built a historic résumé. At 19, Edwards became the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women’s national hockey team and went on to win the International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship that same season. At 20, she became the youngest American to win the Most Valuable Player award at the women’s hockey world championships.
The official Olympic website describes Edwards, now a senior at the University of Wisconsin, as a “rare two-way player who can contribute in both defense and as a forward.”
Edwards’ historic achievement comes as Speedskater Erin Jackson also secured her Olympic spot in the 1,000 meters at the U.S. trials, qualifying for the Milan Cortina Games, where she will also defend her gold medal in the 500. Despite tearing her left hamstring in December, Jackson said her latest victory was “a really big relief,” noting that just days earlier she wasn’t sure she would be able to race at all.
In an essay for the University of Wisconsin’s "Forging Firsts" series, Edwards reflected on navigating her identity in a sport where she often stood alone.
“I always tried to blend in,” Edwards wrote, “but always stood out,” first as a girl playing on boys’ teams and later as the only Black woman on her team.
“I assumed this would go away when I started playing on an all-girls team at the boarding school, but it didn’t,” she added. “While I loved my team, there were moments — like when they shared makeup routines — that highlighted my difference; none of the products they used matched my skin tone.”
Edwards also acknowledged concerns that her identity could overshadow her achievements.
“Will others see the sacrifices and dedication that got me here?” she wrote. “Will they understand the discipline demanded to attend 5 a.m. practices or the courage required to leave my loved ones to pursue my passion?”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.