Donna Kelce, Mom of NFL Stars Travis and Jason Kelce, Encourages Women: “Whatever You Want To Do in Life… It’s Possible!”
Plus, how she prepares for the big game and details on her delicious new giveaway!
As the mom of not one but two football superstars, Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce and recently-retired Philadelphia Eagles Center Jason Kelce (who made history by playing each other in the Super Bowl last year) it’s safe to say Donna Kelce has been keeping busy. The 71-year-old Ohio native and retired banking executive has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to the outstanding athletic achievements of her two sons, and she’s managed to stay admirably grounded through it all.
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“Mama Kelce,” as her sons and growing fanbase affectionately refer to her, has found decades of joy feeding her boys and a crowd of loved ones every game-day. And now, despite her fame — which she’s said she never could have imagined — she hasn’t missed a delicious beat.
In fact, Mama Kelce has recently taken her love of food, fun and football to the masses by partnering with Heluva Good! Dip to launch a special sweepstakes for fans: The Heluva Good! Big Game Countdown Calendar giveaway.
In anticipation of the Big Game on February 11, participants can enter the Heluva Good! giveaway through January 23 for a chance to win their own Countdown Calendar, which includes a variety of Heluva Good! dips and surprises for their own game-day party. Plus, it features some of Donna’s favorite tailgating recipes.
Related: Donna Kelce Shares Her Crowd-Pleaser Recipe
Here, Kelce took some time out of her packed schedule to sit down with Woman’s World and share her best tips for staying happy and confident during football season and beyond.
Mama Kelce advice on staying grounded
The journey from regular mom to celebrity can be a tricky one to navigate, but Donna Kelce has handled it with admirable grace. “I think so many people can relate to it and can relate to my boys not because they’ve made it to the NFL, but because they are decent, good, loving human beings and so many people out there are exactly that,” she tells Woman’s World.
When it comes to seeing Travis and Jason’s massive success, Mama Kelce gushes, “I don’t think you can ever imagine what it actually turns into, you really can’t. It’s a once in a lifetime experience when two boys play each other the same year in the Super Bowl [as they did in 2023].” Ultimately, “it’s pretty surreal and you feel like your life has become something that you don’t recognize,” she says.
Asked if she’s encountered any stress in watching her boys’ journey to the top, Kelce says, “They make it pretty easy for me.” She’s always been a sports fan herself, and revels in the social aspects of football, adding, “It’s fun to be around other families — people that are trying to help their kids succeed and recognize their dreams and fulfill what they want to be when they grow up.”
Mama Kelce tried to attend 16 games per year, evenly split among Travis and Jason’s teams. When she’s watching a game, “I feed off of people’s energy,” she says with a smile. “I just really enjoy every time.”
Her key to finding joy
Mama Kelce’s joyous spirit is infectious. “I really enjoy people,” she says. She credits her positivity to being an outgoing person. “Some people say their home is their sanctuary and they like to stay there and read, but I’m the type of person where I love to be out, I love to meet people, I love to do things.”
As she puts it, “I like to be at theme parks, I like wherever the party is, I want to be anywhere but home, so I’m fine in my own self. The more I have to do, the happier I am.”
Mama Kelce advice for strong women
Whether she’s on or off the bleachers, Kelce has learned a lot of lessons as a high-profile mom, and one of the most important is for women to believe in themselves. And with three young granddaughters, it’s more important to her than ever for women to “understand that whatever you want to do in life, it’s possible,” she insists.
Kelce acknowledges the challenges that may arise, saying, “You may have to work a little harder, you may have to be tenacious, you may need to not listen to anyone who’s telling you you can’t do that, you can’t be that… Just don’t listen to anybody!”
As Kelce sees it, “If you want to realize your dream, you have to go for it and hopefully you have support from family and friends so you can reach that goal” — and we think this is Mama Kelce advice worth following!
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