This extended interview with Laila Edwards dives into her journey from growing up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, to skating at Bishop Kearney in Rochester, New York, and playing for the Wisconsin Badgers. She reflects on her early start in figure skating, the transition to hockey, and how her hometown roots continue to shape her career. Edwards is the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women’s national hockey team and has become one of the brightest young stars on the ice. 00:00 - Introduction 00:26 - Growing up in Cleveland Heights 00:51 - From figure skating to hockey 01:17 - Boarding school in Rochester 01:57 - Coming home to Cleveland 02:23 - College career & championships with sister 03:22 - National championship success 03:40 - What winning feels like 04:09 - Family sacrifices 04:49 - Road to the Olympics 05:25 - Visualizing Olympic gold 05:50 - Team Canada rivalry 06:17 - Rivalry series in Cleveland 07:08 - Travis Kelce connection 08:01 - Cleveland sports fandom 08:48 - WNBA coming to Cleveland 09:05 - LeBron James as role model 09:23 - First Black woman on Team USA 10:09 - Embracing the platform 10:36 - Impact in Europe 11:22 - Overcoming microaggressions 11:40 - 2026 Milan Olympics 12:21 - Wearing USA on your chest 13:03 - Cleveland support 13:26 - Opening ceremony dreams 13:47 - Reflecting on the journey 14:16 - Path to gold