Mama Kelce Details the Hardships She Endured as a Young Female Athlete

Long before Jason and Travis Kelce became household names as NFL stars, their mom was setting a path for them through her own athletic pursuits.

Donna Kelce , who is known fondly among her sons’ fans as “Mama Kelce,” opened up about some of the struggles she faced as a young female athlete during a recent conversation with Brooke Shields . The two spoke for a promotional video aimed at raising awareness about the risks of shingles for people 50 and older.

“Did you know that my sons got it from their momma?” Donna wrote to caption the video that she posted on Instagram on Monday, Sept. 17. As the video began, the proud mom appeared on camera as she described the encouragement she received years ago from her stepmom, who first came into her life when she was 12.

“She taught me how to be and try for anything I wanted to do, that it was limitless for women,” Donna explained. She contrasted her stepmom’s attitude with that of her father, whom Donna described as being “very traditional.”

“He didn’t feel that women should be in sports,” she added.

Despite her father’s resistance, Donna had a passion for athletics—especially track and field—when she was in middle school. While she had to “sneak away” to attend practice on most days, she remembered one night when her abilities as a sprinter and jumper were going to be televised—and she decided to let her father in on the secret.

“When I came home, I said, ‘Dad, you might want to see me on television tonight,’” Donna recalled. “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.”

Donna said her “persistence” helped make her “who I am today.” Looking back at her childhood experiences, Donna believes it is “really important to stay true to yourself,” which she said includes taking “ownership of your health.”

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