Who Is Gracie Hunt, Daughter Of The Kansas City Chiefs' Owner?
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles are gearing up for Super Bowl LVII, and some big storylines are emerging ahead of the big game. As noted by CBS News, the matchup is already going to be one for the history books, with the teams' respective quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, becoming the first-ever Black QBs to go head-to-head during a Super Bowl. Then there are the two brothers on opposing teams who will compete for championship glory, Eagles center Jason Kelce and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, per CNN. The daughter of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Gracie Hunt, is also generating buzz as she prepares to be one of the team's biggest cheerleaders on February 12.
Clark inherited ownership of the Chiefs from his father, Lamar Hunt, who founded the team. The wealthy family has no relation to the Hunt's ketchup brand, but in a 2019 interview with Chiefs.com, Clark revealed that he shares Mahomes' fondness for the condiment — and even eats it on his steak. Clark's wife, Tavia Hunt, is a Kansas City native who won a number of beauty pageants when she was younger, including Miss Kansas USA, per 41 KHSB.
Clark and Tavia have three children, son Knobel and daughters Ava and Gracie, so there is no heir apparent to the Chiefs' ownership in the family. However, Gracie is closely following in her father's footsteps by graduating from his alma mater, Southern Methodist University, and getting involved in the Chiefs organization.
Gracie Hunt had to cut her sports career short
According to her website, Gracie Hunt entered the family business by joining the Kansas City Chiefs' public relations division. Tavia Hunt is the director of the Chiefs Women's Organization, and she's thrilled that her daughter has also decided to become more involved with the team. "I don't think there's any greater reward for a parent than to see their child lean into the community, want to make a difference and really when they can love and serve in a way that gives them more pleasure than they're giving to the people they're serving," Tavia told 41 KHSB.
Gracie used to be passionate about a different type of football. "Soccer was my first love," she told People. She won a championship in high school and hoped to join a college team, but her plans were derailed due to a health hazard many NFL players can sadly relate to. "After suffering four concussions, that was a dream that I could no longer pursue," said Gracie.
While giving up the game that she loved was difficult for Gracie, she remained active. On her website, she says that she's an avid long distance runner who has ran two marathons. Hunt also decided to become a certified nutritionist after spending most of her life with celiac disease, and the busy University of Kansas student has another goal indicative of a desire to pursue a career in an athletic field: earning a master's degree in sport management.
Gracie Hunt is a pageant queen and social media star
Gracie Hunt told the New York Post that she decided to start competing in beauty pageants after her soccer career was cut short, and she sought help from a seasoned pro: her mom. "She said, 'I'm not sure because you walk like a soccer tomboy, but we can give it a shot,'" Hunt recalled. She went on to win a title that her mother once held, Miss Kansas USA, which earned her a spot in the 2021 Miss USA pageant. While Hunt didn't win, she later wrote on Instagram, "I'm grateful to God for the opportunity and experience. I wouldn't change one thing about my preparation or performance."
According to her website, Hunt always excelled in fitness competitions, which she never lost during her pageant days. Speaking to People about Miss USA's swimsuit round, she said, "I want little girls to look up at me when I'm on that Miss USA stage and say, 'Oh my gosh, she's so strong, she's healthy, she has muscles, and I want to be just like her.'"
Hunt also rocked a swimsuit ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs' January 21, 2023 showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. She went viral on Instagram for posing in the snow while wearing a red bikini featuring a Chiefs' logo, which she wisely paired with coordinating snow boots. As of this writing, Hunt has over 230,000 followers on Instagram, where she can often be seen modeling warmer Chiefs gear.