While many have credited Travis and Jason’s dad Ed Kelce’s military background for the athleticism of his kids, it seems that their mother, Donna Kelce, deserves equal credit. For those out of context, Donna was a Junior Olympics track and field champion before working for Mastercard. However, unlike her children, she didn’t have the privilege of pursuing what she truly loved.
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As part of pharmaceutical giant GSK’s “Thrive at 50 plus” campaign, Donna shared the inspiring story of her short-lived yet promising track and field career. Born in an era when women were often discouraged from pursuing sports, Donna expressed that the rebel inside her kept the fire burning. However, her father’s conservative mindset became a barrier to her journey.
Her love for track and field, however, was so great that she had to resort to sneaking out of school for training.
“My dad was very traditional. He didn’t feel that women should be in sports, but I wanted to play sports… I had to sneak away in middle school to go to training,” she recalled.
Thanks to the unwavering support from her stepmother, she was able to secretly practice, resulting in her winning the Junior Olympics gold in track and field.
Things eventually changed when she was able to proudly tell her father to watch her compete in the 50-yard broad jump on TV. Though her father disagreed at first, his perspective changed when he finally saw his daughter’s talents.
Seeing Donna on TV made her father realize how good she was
As soon as Travis Kelce‘s grandfather saw Donna on TV, he realized how grave of a mistake he had made by not letting her pursue sports earlier. He realized the talents of his daughter that day and since then, his mindset changed.
“He really did not want me doing this. But once he saw me and he saw how good I was, I think he changed his mind. I think it’s really important.”
While Donna’s story is inspiring, a major takeaway, according to her, is being “true to yourself.” Despite the social stigma attached to women in sports, she stayed true to her calling and reaped the benefits. For Donna, her ability to pursue her true self helped her achieve success.
Though she couldn’t make a living from it, reaching the Junior Olympics in that era is a commendable feat in itself.
Hearing her life story gives us an insight into how Travis and Jason are so real and competitive all the time. Based on what we know about their parents, these traits most likely are bursting through their veins.
