“So, I’ve been a diehard for a long time,” White said.

Travis Kelce and his foundation, 87 & Running, came to the rescue when White reached out to a local nonprofit for help.

“It was an extensive project,” said Rebuilding Together Kansas City Executive Director Scott Hickox.

White’s husband died three years ago, and she has been in a wheelchair, but she wanted to stay in her home of 56 years.

“And I’m just so thankful that they are here for me,” White said.

Hickox and his team at Rebuilding Together Kansas City help residents age in place. Last year alone, they repaired more than 125 Kansas City homes by making critical repairs and safety modifications.

White got a new hot water heater, a kitchen sink, a porch rebuild, a new roof and key railings, so she can easily move around. White, a star track and field athlete herself, knows a thing or two about grit. She even made it to the Olympic trials in the 1960s. Now, she is grateful to her hometown hero.

“I would like to say that, I thank God for Travis and this foundation. It has brought many tears to me of joy, not of sadness,” White said.