CBS Top News｜莱拉·爱德华兹（Laila Edwards）谈及成为美国女子奥运冰球队首位黑人女性的“无上荣耀”

Laila Edwards told "CBS Mornings it's "an incredible honor" to be the first Black woman to play on the U.S. women's ice hockey team at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games .

"You know, I get to be the first of something and a role model for others," Edwards said.

The 22-year-old made history when she made her Olympic debut on Thursday, helping Team USA notch a 5-1 win over the Czech Republic in its first preliminary round match. The University of Wisconsin senior turned Olympian plays defense, the polar opposite of her first time on the ice at 3 years old.

"I started with figure skating. It was my dad's plan all along just to make the transition to hockey easier, even though I had no idea while I was doing it," Edwards said, adding she liked the sport but wasn't "the biggest fan of the outfits."

"The tutus and the puffy. Yeah, no, I wasn't a fan," Edwards said.

Edwards started playing ice hockey at 5 years old and quickly stood out not only for her skills, but also as the only girl on her team.

"I definitely felt like I belonged, but there were times where there's a bit of intimidation, just being the only girl on my team. I was such a tomboy. I was basically one of them," she recalled.

Breaking barriers in U.S. women's hockey

It didn't take long for the Cleveland Heights, Ohio , native to become one of the best women's hockey players in the nation. In 2023, Edwards became the first African American player to join the U.S. women's national hockey team.

Now, she's making history again at the Olympics in Italy.

Edwards said all her worries and stress go away when she puts on her hockey gear and steps out on the ice.

"It's clich, but it's my safe space where I just feel like I can be myself and do what I love, along a lot of really good athletes and against good athletes," she said.

When asked what advice she would give to girls who want to play ice hockey but are on the fence, she said, "There's no rule book that says hockey is for boys. You know, there's no reason you shouldn't do it if you love it. I think that's with everything in life."

That relentless mindset has prepared Edwards for her biggest goal yet.

Edwards said she's thankful to represent Team USA at the Winter Olympics.

"I have had so many people help me get here, and especially my family. They sacrificed time, money, you know, experiences," Edwards said. "This is my best way of trying to say thank youmaking them proud while representing our country."

Women's Ice HockeyOlympics

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莱拉·爱德华兹（Laila Edwards）向《CBS晨间新闻》表示，能成为首位入选2026年冬奥会美国女子冰球队的黑人女性，她感到"无比荣幸"。

爱德华兹表示：“要知道，我有幸成为开创先河之人，并成为他人的榜样。”

这位22岁的选手在周四的奥运首秀中创造了历史，帮助美国队以5比1战胜捷克共和国，赢得首场预选赛胜利。威斯康星大学大四学生转型为奥运选手的她司职防守，与她3岁时初次上冰场的角色截然相反。

爱德华兹表示："我最初学的是花样滑冰。尽管当时我并不知情，但这其实是我父亲的计划，为的是让我能更顺利地转战冰球。"她补充说自己喜欢这项运动，但并非"服装的狂热爱好者"。

“那些蓬蓬裙和泡泡袖的设计？老实说，我并不喜欢。”爱德华兹说道。

爱德华兹5岁开始打冰球，很快便崭露头角——这不仅得益于她的技术，还因为她是队里唯一的女孩。

她回忆道："我确实有归属感，但作为团队里唯一的女孩，有时还是会感到些许压力。那时的我是个十足的假小子，基本上就是他们中的一员。"

美国女子冰球队打破壁垒

这位来自俄亥俄州克利夫兰高地的选手很快便跻身全美顶尖女子冰球运动员之列。2023年，埃德华兹成为首位入选美国女子国家冰球队的非裔球员。

如今，她再次在意大利奥运会上创造历史。

爱德华兹表示，当她穿上冰球装备踏上冰面时，所有的烦恼和压力都会烟消云散。

虽然这话听起来有些老套，但这里确实是我的安全空间。在这里，我可以做真实的自己，做热爱的事，与众多优秀运动员并肩训练，也与他们同场竞技。

当被问及想打冰球却犹豫不决的女孩们该怎么做时，她说道："没有任何规则手册规定冰球是男孩子的运动。要知道，只要你热爱它，就没有理由不去尝试。我认为这个道理适用于生活中的一切。"

这种不懈的心态为爱德华兹迎接她迄今为止最大的目标做好了准备。

爱德华兹表示，她非常荣幸能代表美国队参加冬奥会。

埃德华兹表示：“有太多人帮助我走到今天，尤其是我的家人。他们牺牲了时间、金钱，还有各种人生体验。代表国家参赛并让他们感到骄傲，这就是我表达感谢的最好方式。”

女子冰球